Cao Dai

[ kou dahy ]

noun

1. a syncretic religion, originating in Cochinchina (now part of South Vietnam) in 1926, combining Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucianist elements and affected to some extent by Christianity.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Cao Dai¹

First recorded in 1935–40; from Vietnamese cao đài, literally, “high tower,” from cao “high, tall, great” + đài “platform, tower,” both from Middle Chinese; compare Mandarin gāo, tái