Talk:智齒

@Wyang, do you know if this is a calque of a European term, or a native development (some convergent evolution)? - -sche (discuss) 21:40, 9 February 2018 (UTC)

@-sche It is likely both. The synonym 智牙 (zhìyá, “wisdom tooth”) was attested in the Book of Northern Qi [636 CE] in an interesting story:

武成生齻牙，問諸醫，尚藥典御鄧宣文以實對，武成怒而撻之。
後以問之才，拜賀曰：「此是智牙，生智牙者聰明長壽。」武成悅而賞之。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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武成生𱌺牙，问诸医，尚药典御邓宣文以实对，武成怒而挞之。
后以问之才，拜贺曰：「此是智牙，生智牙者聪明长寿。」武成悦而赏之。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

Wǔchéng shēng diānyá, wèn zhū yī, shàngyào diǎnyù Dèng Xuānwén yǐ shí duì, Wǔchéng nù ér tà zhī.
Hòu yǐ wèn Zhīcái, bàihè yuē: “Cǐ shì zhìyá, shēng zhìyá zhě cōngmíng chángshòu.” Wǔchéng yuè ér shǎng zhī. [Pinyin]

(The young) Emperor Wucheng was starting to grow his wisdom teeth. He asked the imperial physicians why this was so, and the head physician, Deng Xuanwen, answered truthfully (that their eruption was a sign of maturation). Emperor Wucheng was displeased with the explanation and asked for him to be flogged.
He then asked Xu Zhicai (another imperial physician). Xu congratulated the emperor and said: “These are the wisdom teeth, Your Majesty. Those who have wisdom teeth are wise and long-lived.” Emperor Wucheng was delighted, and rewarded him.

Not sure if the ancient Romans had a similar life-and-death situation leading to the name... Wyang (talk) 23:59, 9 February 2018 (UTC)