China
English
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Zh-Territories_of_Dynasties_in_China.gif/250px-Zh-Territories_of_Dynasties_in_China.gif)
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Portuguese China,[1][2] probably under influence from Old French Chin,[3] from Classical Persian چین (čīn), from Middle Persian 𐭰𐭩𐭭 (Čīn, “China”), from Sanskrit चीन (cīna, “the Chinese; China”) of uncertain etymology. It is usually thought to be derived from Chinese 秦 (Qín) (sm Qín, mc d͡ziɪn, oc *zin, "Qin"), the westernmost ancient Chinese state,[4][5][6] but other theories have been proposed, including derivation from 晉/晋 (jìn) (sm Jìn, mc t͡siɪn, oc *ʔsins, "Jin"), another important ancient state;[7] 荊/荆 (jīng) (sm Jīng, mc kˠiæŋ, oc *keŋ, "Chu"), the southernmost ancient Chinese state;[8] or Zina, the endonym of the people of the Yelang kingdom.[8] See "Names of China" and "Chinas" at Wikipedia. As a female name, usually derived via china (“porcelain”) and china doll, ultimately from the same source.
Pronunciation
Proper noun
China (usually uncountable, plural Chinas)
- A nation or civilization occupying the country around the Yellow, Yangtze, and Pearl Rivers in East Asia, taken as a whole under its various dynasties.
- 1555, Peter Martyr, translated by Richard Eden, The Decades of the Newe Worlde..., folio 230 verso:
- 1884 December 10, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: (Tom Sawyer’s Comrade) […], London: Chatto & Windus, […], →OCLC:
- If he tells them to build a palace forty miles long, out of di'monds, and fill it full of chewing gum, or whatever you want, and fetch an emperor's daughter from China for you to marry, they've got to do it—and they've got to do it before sun-up next morning, too.
- 1987, Geoffrey Marston, “Abandonment of Territorial Claims: The Cases of Bouvet and Spratly Islands”, in The British Year Book of International Law 1986[4], volume 57, Oxford: Clarendon Press, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 356:
- The Commissioner General asked for Foreign Office guidance in view of his information about earlier events relating to the British claim. In reply, the Foreign Office, in a telegram dated 12 June 1956, pointed out that as there was now a territorial dispute involving the two Chinas, the Philippines and possibly Vietnam over the Nansha Islands the British vessel should ‘stay well clear’ of Spratly Island.
- 1998, George H. W. Bush et al., A World Transformed[5], New York: Alfred A. Knopf, →ISBN, page 93:
- After I was nominated to the vice-presidency, Ronald Reagan asked me to go to China to reassure Deng that, despite having mentioned it in a campaign speech, he did not believe in two Chinas, and that he would honor the Shanghai Communiqué—which declared, in effect, that there was but one China. Joined by his top foreign policy team, Deng listened carefully as I explained that Reagan’s statement had been taken out of context. Just as I was finishing, a door opened and a message was passed down the line of advisors until it reached Deng. On reading it, he looked puzzled and annoyed. “He did it again!” he announced. “Ronald Reagan has again referred to ‘two Chinas’ in a speech!” I talked fast and got out of there.
- China has 5000 years of history.
- The principal state in this country, including (historical) an empire under various dynasties and (since 1949) the People's Republic of China.
- 1971 December 6, “A Size-up of President Nixon: Interview with Mike Mansfield, Senate Democratic Leader”, in US News & World Report, page 61:
- 'Only a Nixon' Could Go to China
- 2017, Donald J. Trump, speech at Make America Great Again Rally, Harrisburg, PA
- And I met with the President of China at great length in Florida, and we had long, long talks—hours and hours and hours.
- China will be 73 years old this October 1.
- Synonym of mainland China.
- The gambling winnings were transferred from Macau to China.
- (rare) A female given name.
- 2001, Susan Wittig Albert, chapter 1, in Bloodroot, Berkley Publishing Group, →ISBN, page 3:
- My name is China Bayles. I'm the owner of Thyme and Seasons and the co-owner, with Ruby Wilcox, of a new tearoom called Thyme for Tea.
- 2014, Neil D. A. Stewart, The Glasgow Coma Scale, Constable & Robinson, →ISBN, page 159:
- 'What's her name, this girl?' The fight had hoarsened Lynne's voice, and the words came out strangely staccato - a wooden doll that had just learned to speak.
'China,' he mumbled, feeling an obscure desire to invent a pseudonym for her.
'What an interesting name.'
Angus struck the table edge hard. 'Aw, don't gies it.'
'I don't know what you mean. Or is it a nickname? Fragile, is she?'
- An unincorporated community in Jefferson County, Indiana, United States.
- A town in Kennebec County, Maine, United States.
- An unincorporated community in Howell County, Missouri, United States.
- A hamlet in Delaware County, New York, United States.
- A small city in Jefferson County, Texas, United States.
- A municipality and town in Nuevo León, Mexico.
-
An 1844 map of China (i.e., the Qing Empire), including Taiwan, Mongolia, Korea, outer Manchuria (now Russian), and Assam in India.
-
A 1932 map of the Far East, showing China (i.e., China proper) without Manchuria, Mongolia (i.e., Greater Mongolia), "Sinkiang", "Tibit", or Japanese Taiwan.
-
A map of the divisions of the Republic of China in 1944, from the American propaganda film Why We Fight: The Battle of China.
-
The CIA's 2008 map of China, showing the PRC's claim on Taiwan (but not the South China Sea) and India's claim on the PRC (but not China's on Arunachal Pradesh).
-
A 2002 map of the railways of China, showing the PRC and ROC's nine-dash claim in the South China Sea. Both Chinas also claim the "Diaoyu" Islands, currently administered as Japan's Senkakus.
Synonyms
- (nation): Cathay (northern medieval China, archaic); Manji, Mangi (southern medieval China, archaic); Han (culture); Greater China (inclusive of Taiwan, non-Han autonomous regions, and the SARs but not always all Chinese claims); Chinkland (pejorative); Sinim (some religious contexts)
- (state): Middle Kingdom, Chinese Empire; Celestial Kingdom, Flowery Kingdom (archaic)
- (principal states at different periods): Xia, Shang, Zhou (kingdoms); Qin, Han, Jin, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing, Chinese Empire, Empire of China (empires); Warring States, Three Kingdoms (regions); Republic of China or Chinese Republic, People's Republic of China or Chinese People's Republic
Meronyms
- (provinces of China) province of China; Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Gansu, Guizhou, Henan, Hubei, Hebei, Hainan, Heilongjiang, Hunan, Jilin, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Liaoning, Qinghai, Sichuan, Shandong, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Taiwan (claimed), Yunnan, Zhejiang
Derived terms
- all the tea in China
- Capitan China
- China aster
- chinaberry
- China continental
- China doll
- China hand
- Chinaman (derogatory)
- China matting
- China proper
- China rose
- China Seas
- China's Sorrow
- China Swede
- China syndrome
- Chinatown
- China watcher
- China white
- China White
- Chinese
- Cochin-China
- Communist China
- East China Sea
- Empire of China
- Free China
- Great Wall of China
- made in China
- mainland China
- Nationalist China
- People's Republic of China
- Red China
- Republic of China
- South China Sea
Related terms
Descendants
- → Amharic: ቻይና (čayna)
- → Chinese: 猜拿 (Cāiná)
- → Hindi: चाइना (cāinā)
- → Maori: Haina
- → Telugu: చైనా (cainā)
- → Tigre: ቻይና (čayna)
- → Tigrinya: ቻይና (čayna)
- → Tokelauan: Haina
- → Yoruba: Ṣáínà
Translations
Noun
China (countable and uncountable, plural Chinas)
- (obsolete) A Chinese person.
- (obsolete) Alternative form of cheyney: woollen stuff; items made or filled with cheyney.
- Clipping of China rose: various flowers.
- (botany, beverages) Clipping of China tea.
- (rhyming slang) Alternative form of china: a mate, a friend.
See also
- (countries of Asia) country of Asia; Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Cyprus, East Timor, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen
- Appendix:Countries of the world
- "Names of China" and "China in world languages" at Wikipedia
References
- ^ Duarte Barbosa, Descrição das Terras da India Oriental..., c. 1516.
- ^ Garcia de Orta, Colóquios dos Simples e Drogas da India, 1563.
- ^ Marco Polo & al., Divisiment dou Monde, c. 1298.
- ^ Dr M. R. Singh (1972) Geographical Data in Early Puranas, page 172
- ^ Mayrhofer, Manfred (2001) “cīna-”, in Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan][1] (in German), volume 3, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 191
- ^ Yule, Henry (2005) Cathay and the Way Thither[2], →ISBN, pages 2–3
- ^ Zhengzhang, Shangfang (鄭張尚芳) (2006) “古译名勘原辨讹五例 [A Correction of the Erroneous Etymological Analyses of Five Ancient Translated Names]”, in 中国语文 (in Chinese), volume 315, →ISSN, pages 541–549
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Wade Geoff (2009-05) “The Polity of Yelang and the Origin of the Name 'China'”, in Sino-Platonic Papers[3], number 188
- “China, n.¹ and adj.”, in OED Online
, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 2019.
Anagrams
Afrikaans
Alternative forms
Etymology
Pronunciation
Proper noun
China
Asturian
Proper noun
China f
Related terms
Central Huasteca Nahuatl
Proper noun
China
Dutch
Etymology
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Pronunciation
Proper noun
China n
Derived terms
Galician
Proper noun
China f
Derived terms
German
Etymology
From Persian چینی (čini, “Chinese; porcelain”), compound of چین (čin, “China”) and the suffix ـی (-i), from Middle Persian 𐭰𐭩𐭭 (čīn, “China”), ultimately from Sanskrit चीन (cīna).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈçiːna/
- IPA(key): [ˈkiːna] (Southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland)
Audio: (file)
- IPA(key): [ˈʃiːna] (Northern Germany, western Germany)
Audio: (file)
- IPA(key): [ˈxiːna] (Switzerland)
- Hyphenation: Chi‧na
Proper noun
China n (proper noun, genitive Chinas or (optionally with an article) China, plural China)
Usage notes
- The plural China refers to the People's Republic of China (German: Volksrepublik China (short: VR China), Festlandchina (Mainland China), Rotchina (Red China)) and the Republic of China (German: Republik China (auf Taiwan), Inselchina, Taiwan).
Declension
Further reading
- “China” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
Hunsrik
Pronunciation
Proper noun
China n
Further reading
Indonesian
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from English China.
Pronunciation
Proper noun
China
- (nonstandard, now possibly derogatory) nonstandard form of Cina (“a country; language”).
Interlingua
Proper noun
China
Malay
Etymology
From Middle Persian [script needed] (ṣīn, “Chinese; porcelain”), probably from Sanskrit चीन (cīna). The spelling is a carryover from the Za'aba Spelling used before 1972, to distinguish it from Cina (“Chinese people”).
Pronunciation
Proper noun
China (Jawi spelling چينا)
Further reading
- “China” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.
Occitan
Alternative forms
Proper noun
China f
Derived terms
References
- Patric Guilhemjoan, Diccionari elementari occitan-francés francés-occitan (gascon), 2005, Orthez, per noste, 2005, →ISBN, page 146.
Portuguese
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Flag_of_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China.svg/250px-Flag_of_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China.svg.png)
Etymology
Perhaps from Hindi चीन (cīn) and ultimately from Sanskrit चीन (cīna). Compare Malay Cina.
Pronunciation
- Hyphenation: Chi‧na
Proper noun
China f
- China (a country in eastern Asia)
- For quotations using this term, see Citations:China.
Derived terms
Romanian
Etymology
Borrowed from Greek Κίνα (Kína), ultimately from Sanskrit चीन (cīna).
Pronunciation
Proper noun
China f
Derived terms
Related terms
Shona
Etymology
From -china (“fourth”), counting the days of the working week from Monday.
Noun
China class 7
See also
- (days of the week) mazuva evhiki; Muvhuro, Chipiri, Chitatu, China, Chishanu, Mugovera / Chitanhatu (Zezuru), Svondo (Category: sn:Days of the week)
Spanish
Etymology
Ultimately from Sanskrit चीन (cīna), ultimately possibly from Old Chinese 秦 (*zin).
Pronunciation
Proper noun
China f
Derived terms
Related terms
Descendants
- → Tagalog: Tsina
Swahili
Pronunciation
Proper noun
China
- Alternative form of Uchina
- English terms borrowed from Portuguese
- English terms derived from Portuguese
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Classical Persian
- English terms derived from Middle Persian
- English terms derived from Sanskrit
- English terms derived from Chinese
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- Rhymes:English/aɪnə
- Rhymes:English/aɪnə/2 syllables
- English lemmas
- English proper nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with quotations
- English terms with usage examples
- English terms with historical senses
- English terms with rare senses
- English given names
- English female given names
- en:Unincorporated communities in Indiana, USA
- en:Unincorporated communities in the United States
- en:Places in Indiana, USA
- en:Places in the United States
- en:Towns in Maine, USA
- en:Towns in the United States
- en:Places in Maine, USA
- en:Unincorporated communities in Missouri, USA
- en:Places in Missouri, USA
- en:Villages in New York, USA
- en:Villages in the United States
- en:Places in New York, USA
- en:Cities in Texas, USA
- en:Cities in the United States
- en:Places in Texas, USA
- en:Municipalities of Mexico
- en:Towns in Nuevo León
- en:Towns in Mexico
- en:Places in Nuevo León
- en:Places in Mexico
- English nouns
- English terms with obsolete senses
- English clippings
- en:Botany
- English rhyming slang
- en:China
- en:Countries in Asia
- English exonyms
- Afrikaans terms inherited from Dutch
- Afrikaans terms derived from Dutch
- Afrikaans terms with IPA pronunciation
- Afrikaans terms with audio links
- Afrikaans lemmas
- Afrikaans proper nouns
- af:China
- af:Countries in Asia
- af:Countries
- Asturian lemmas
- Asturian proper nouns
- Asturian feminine nouns
- ast:China
- ast:Countries in Asia
- ast:Countries
- Central Huasteca Nahuatl lemmas
- Central Huasteca Nahuatl proper nouns
- nch:China
- nch:Countries in Asia
- nch:Countries
- Dutch terms with IPA pronunciation
- Dutch terms with audio links
- Rhymes:Dutch/inaː
- Dutch lemmas
- Dutch proper nouns
- Dutch neuter nouns
- nl:China
- nl:Countries in Asia
- nl:Countries
- Galician lemmas
- Galician proper nouns
- Galician feminine nouns
- gl:China
- gl:Countries in Asia
- gl:Countries
- German terms derived from Persian
- German terms derived from Middle Persian
- German terms derived from Sanskrit
- German 2-syllable words
- German terms with IPA pronunciation
- German terms with audio links
- German lemmas
- German proper nouns
- German neuter nouns
- de:China
- de:Countries in Asia
- de:Countries
- German exonyms
- Hunsrik 2-syllable words
- Hunsrik terms with IPA pronunciation
- Hunsrik lemmas
- Hunsrik proper nouns
- Hunsrik neuter nouns
- hrx:China
- hrx:Countries in Asia
- hrx:Countries
- Hunsrik terms with usage examples
- Indonesian terms borrowed from English
- Indonesian unadapted borrowings from English
- Indonesian terms derived from English
- Indonesian 2-syllable words
- Indonesian terms with IPA pronunciation
- Indonesian lemmas
- Indonesian proper nouns
- Indonesian nonstandard terms
- Indonesian derogatory terms
- Indonesian nonstandard forms
- Interlingua lemmas
- Interlingua proper nouns
- ia:China
- ia:Countries in Asia
- ia:Countries
- Malay terms derived from Middle Persian
- Malay terms derived from Sanskrit
- Malay 2-syllable words
- Malay terms with IPA pronunciation
- Rhymes:Malay/na
- Rhymes:Malay/a
- Rhymes:Malay/a/2 syllables
- Malay lemmas
- Malay proper nouns
- ms:China
- ms:Countries in Asia
- ms:Countries
- Occitan lemmas
- Occitan proper nouns
- Occitan feminine nouns
- oc:China
- oc:Countries in Asia
- oc:Countries
- Gascon
- Occitan exonyms
- Portuguese terms derived from Hindi
- Portuguese terms derived from Sanskrit
- Portuguese 2-syllable words
- Portuguese terms with IPA pronunciation
- Portuguese lemmas
- Portuguese proper nouns
- Portuguese feminine nouns
- pt:China
- pt:Countries in Asia
- pt:Countries
- Portuguese exonyms
- Romanian terms borrowed from Greek
- Romanian terms derived from Greek
- Romanian terms derived from Sanskrit
- Romanian terms with audio links
- Romanian terms with IPA pronunciation
- Romanian lemmas
- Romanian proper nouns
- Romanian feminine nouns
- ro:China
- ro:Countries in Asia
- ro:Countries
- Shona lemmas
- Shona nouns
- Shona class 7 nouns
- sn:Days of the week
- Spanish terms derived from Sanskrit
- Spanish terms derived from Old Chinese
- Spanish 2-syllable words
- Spanish terms with IPA pronunciation
- Spanish terms with audio links
- Rhymes:Spanish/ina
- Rhymes:Spanish/ina/2 syllables
- Spanish lemmas
- Spanish proper nouns
- Spanish feminine nouns
- es:China
- es:Countries in Asia
- es:Countries
- Spanish exonyms
- Swahili terms with audio links
- Swahili lemmas
- Swahili proper nouns