菠薐

Chinese

		phonetic
trad. (菠薐)		菠	薐
simp. #(菠薐)		菠	薐
alternative forms		菠稜／菠棱 波稜／波棱 波棱 頗陵／颇陵 頗稜／颇棱 菠稜／菠棱 波稜／波棱 波棱 頗陵／颇陵 頗稜／颇棱 頗蔆／颇菱

Etymology

Around 674 C.E., borrowed from Sanskrit पालङ्क (pālaṅka), पालङ्क्य (pālaṅkya), पालक्या (pālakyā, “Indian spinach ()”), possibly via some ancient language in modern-day Nepal. Compare modern Nepali पालुङ्गो (pāluṅgo, “spinach”), Assamese পালেং (paleṅ), Bengali পালং (paloṅ, “spinach (Spinacia oleracea)”). Possibly the source of 菠菜 (bōcài).

Alternative etymology relates this word to the name of an ancient kingdom in India. Examples of such suggestions include:

• Wei Xuan of the Tang Dynasty, who remarked that:

  豈非頗稜國將來，而語訛為菠稜耶？ [MSC, trad.]
  岂非颇棱国将来，而语讹为菠棱耶？ [MSC, simp.]

  Qǐ fēi Pōléng Guó jiāng lái, ér yǔ é wèi bōléng yē? [Pinyin]

  Isn't it because it [i.e. spinach] came from the country p’olang, that it got its name polang?

• Sun Yi (孫奕) of the Song Dynasty also said:

  《藝苑雌黃》云……蔬品有頗陵者，昔人自頗陵國將其子來，因以為名，今俗乃從艸而為菠薐。 [MSC, trad.]
  《艺苑雌黄》云……蔬品有颇陵者，昔人自颇陵国将其子来，因以为名，今俗乃从艸而为菠薐。 [MSC, simp.]

  “Yìyuàn Cíhuáng” yún...... Shūpǐn yǒu pōlíng zhě, xīrén zì Pōlíng Guó jiāng qí zǐ lái, yīn yǐ wèi míng, jīn sú nǎi cóng cǎo ér wèi bōléng. [Pinyin]

  According to the book Yiyuan Cihuang: The vegetable p’olang, was introduced as seeds from the country p’olang, and hence named. Nowadays its name is written with the 艸 radical, as ‘菠薐’.

Berthold Laufer in his book Sino-Iranica observed that there was a country known from inscriptions called पालक्क (pālakka), which likely lies in present-day Palakkad, Kerala, in Southern India. He conjectured that at the time of introduction of the vegetable, the monks from Nepal also brought with them their own folk etymology of the association between the plant name and the toponym/country name. Compare modern Hindi पालक (pālak, “spinach”).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): bōléng

  (Zhuyin): ㄅㄛ ㄌㄥˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): bo¹ ling⁴
• Eastern Min (BUC): puŏ-lìng
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): pe-lêng / poe-lêng

  (Teochew, Peng'im): buê¹ lêng⁵

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: bōléng
    • Zhuyin: ㄅㄛ ㄌㄥˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: boléng
    • Wade–Giles: po¹-lêng²
    • Yale: bwō-léng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: boleng
    • Palladius: болэн (bolɛn)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pu̯ɔ⁵⁵ lɤŋ³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: bo¹ ling⁴
    • Yale: bō lìhng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: bo¹ ling⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: bo¹ ling⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pɔː⁵⁵ lɪŋ²¹/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: puŏ-lìng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰuo⁵⁵ l̃iŋ⁵³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Magong)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: pe-lêng
    • Tâi-lô: pe-lîng
    • Phofsit Daibuun: peleeng
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: poe-lêng
    • Tâi-lô: pue-lîng
    • Phofsit Daibuun: poeleeng
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /pue⁴⁴⁻²² liɪŋ¹³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: buê¹ lêng⁵
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: pue lêng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pue³³⁻²³ leŋ⁵⁵/

Noun

(deprecated template usage) 菠薐

1. (archaic or Min) spinach

   菜之菠薐，本西國中有僧將其子來，如苜蓿、蒲陶，因張騫而至也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
   菜之菠薐，本西国中有僧将其子来，如苜蓿、蒲陶，因张骞而至也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

   From: Tang Dynasty, Wei Xuan, 《劉賓客嘉話錄》

   Cài zhī bōléng, běn xīguó zhōng yǒu sēng jiāng qí zǐ lái, rú mùxu, pútáo, yīn Zhāng Qiān ér zhì yě. [Pinyin]

   Seeds of the vegetable spinach were originally brought here [to China] by monks from the western country [i.e. India], like alfalfa and grape which were introduced by Zhang Qian.

   菠薐煮豆腐 [Eastern Min, trad. and simp.]

   puŏ-lìng cṳ̄ dâu-hô / [pʰuo⁵⁵ l̃iŋ⁵³ t͡sy³³ tau²⁴²⁻⁵³ ^(h-)ou²⁴²] [Bàng-uâ-cê / IPA]

   tofu spinach pot

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 菠菜 (“spinach”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		菠薐
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		菠菜
Taxonomic name		菠菜
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	菠菜
	Taiwan	菠菜
	Langfang	菠菜
	Chengde	菠菜
	Chifeng	菠菜
	Hulunbuir (Hailar)	菠菜
	Heihe	菠菜
	Qiqihar	菠菜
	Harbin	菠菜
	Jiamusi	菠菜
	Baicheng	菠菜
	Changchun	菠菜
	Tonghua	菠菜
	Shenyang	菠菜
	Jinzhou	菠菜
	Singapore	菠菜
Jilu Mandarin	Tianjin	菠菜
	Tangshan	菠菜
	Cangzhou	菠菜
	Baoding	青菜
	Shijiazhuang	菠菜, 青菜
	Lijin	菠菜
	Jinan	菠菜
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Dalian	菠菜
	Dandong	菠菜
	Yantai	菠菜, 紅根兒菠菜
	Yantai (Muping)	菠菜
	Qingdao	菠菜
	Zhucheng	菠菜
Central Plains Mandarin	Luoyang	菠菜
	Lingbao	菠菜
	Jining	菠菜
	Daming	菠菜
	Wanrong	菠菜
	Linfen	菠菜
	Shangqiu	菠菜
	Yuanyang	菠菜
	Zhengzhou	菠菜
	Xinyang	菠菜
	Baihe	菠菜
	Xi'an	菠菜
	Baoji	菠菜
	Tianshui	菠菜
	Xining	菠菜
	Xuzhou	菠菜
	Fuyang	菠菜
	Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan)	菠菜
	Masanchin (Shaanxi Dungan)	菠菜
Lanyin Mandarin	Yinchuan	菠菜
	Lanzhou	菠菜, 綠菠菜
	Dunhuang	菠菜
	Hami	菠菜
	Ürümqi	菠菜
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	菠菜
	Nanchong	菠菜
	Dazhou	菠菜
	Hanyuan	菠菜
	Xichang	菠菜
	Zigong	菠菜
	Chongqing	菠菜
	Wuhan	菠菜, 紅嘴綠鸚哥
	Yichang	菠菜
	Xiangyang	菠菜
	Tianmen	菠菜
	Guiyang	菠菜
	Zunyi	菠菜
	Bijie	菠菜
	Liping	菠菜
	Zhaotong	菠菜
	Dali	菠羅菜
	Kunming	菠菜
	Guilin	菠菜
	Liuzhou	菠菜
	Jishou	菠菜, 甜菜
	Changde	菠菜
	Hanzhong	菠菜
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	菠菜
	Yangzhou	菠菜
	Lianyungang	菠菜
	Lianshui	菠菜
	Nantong	菠菜
	Anqing	菠菜
	Wuhu	菠菜
	Hefei	菠菜
	Hong'an	菠菜
Cantonese	Guangzhou	菠菜
	Hong Kong	菠菜
	Hong Kong (San Tin Weitou)	菠菜
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin Weitou)	菠菜
	Hong Kong (Ting Kok)	角菜
	Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau)	角菜
	Macau	菠菜
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	菠菜
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	菠菜
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	菠菜
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	菠菜
	Foshan	菠菜
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	菠菜
	Foshan (Shunde)	菠菜
	Foshan (Sanshui)	菠菜
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	菠菜
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	菠菜
	Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou)	菠菜
	Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka)	菠菜
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	菠菜
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	菠菜
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	菠菜
	Taishan	菠菜
	Kaiping (Chikan)	菠菜
	Enping (Niujiang)	菠菜
	Heshan (Yayao)	菠菜
	Dongguan	菠薐菜, 菠薐
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	菠菜
	Shenzhen (Dapeng)	角菜
	Qingyuan	菠菜, 角菜
	Fogang	角菜
	Yingde (Hanguang)	角菜
	Yangshan	角菜
	Lianshan (Butian)	角菜
	Lianzhou (Qingshui Sihui)	菠菜, 菠薐
	Shaoguan	菠菜
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	菠菜
	Renhua	角菜
	Lechang	角菜, 菠菜
	Zhaoqing (Gaoyao)	菠菜
	Sihui	角菜, 菠菜
	Guangning	角菜
	Deqing	菠菜
	Huaiji	角菜
	Fengkai (Nanfeng)	菠薐
	Yunfu	菠菜
	Xinxing	菠菜
	Luoding	菠菜
	Yunan (Pingtai)	菠菜
	Yangjiang	菠薐菜
	Xinyi	菠菜
	Gaozhou	菠菜
	Lianjiang	菠菜
	Nanning	菠菜
	Nanning (Tanka)	菠菜
	Wuzhou	菠菜
	Yulin	菠薐
	Hepu (Lianzhou)	菠菜
	Hepu (Shatian)	菠菜
	Guiping	菠菜
	Guiping (Mule)	菠菜
	Pingnan	菠菜
	Guigang (Gangcheng)	菠菜
	Guigang (Pingdong)	菠菜
Beihai	菠菜
Beihai (Nankang)	菠菜
Beihai (Yingpan)	菠菜
Beihai (Qiaogang - Cô Tô)	菠菜
Beihai (Qiaogang - Cát Bà)	菠菜
Fangchenggang (Fangcheng)	菠菜
Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	菠菜
Ipoh (Guangfu)	菠菜
Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu)	菠菜
Móng Cái	玻璃菜
Gan	Nanchang	菠菜, 紅嘴綠鸚哥
	Lichuan	菠菜
	Pingxiang	菠菜
Hakka	Meixian	角菜, 角菜仔, 菠菜
	Dabu (Xihe)	角菜仔
	Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua)	菠菜, 角菜
	Huizhou (Shuikou Bendihua)	角菜
	Huizhou (Hengli Bendihua)	角菜
	Huidong (Pingshan Bendihua)	角菜
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	角菜
	Longmen (Pingling Bendihua)	角菜
	Longmen (Luxi Bendihua)	角菜
	Boluo (Bendihua)	角菜
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	角菜
	Zhongshan (Wuguishan)	角菜
	Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)	菠菜
	Wuhua (Shuizhai)	角菜
	Wuhua (Huacheng)	角菜
	Wuhua (Changbu)	菠菜
	Wuhua (Mianyang)	菠菜
	Heyuan (Bendihua)	角菜
	Zijin (Guzhu Bendihua)	菠菜
	Longchuan (Tuocheng Bendihua)	菠菜, 角菜
	Longchuan (Sidu Bendihua)	菠菜
	Heping (Linzhai Bendihua)	角菜
	Lianping (Zhongxin Bendihua)	角菜
	Lianping (Longjie Bendihua)	角菜
	Nanxiong (Zhuji)	菠菜
	Xinfeng (Matou Bendihua)	角菜
	Xinfeng (Daxi Bendihua)	角菜
	Jiexi	菠薐菜
	Raoping (Xinfeng)	菠薐菜
	Changting	菠薐菜
	Longyan (Yongding)	角菜
	Longyan (Xiayang, Yongding)	角菜
	Longyan (Gaobei, Yongding)	角子菜
	Longyan (Hukeng, Yongding)	菠菜
	Wuping	菠薐菜
	Wuping (Zhongshan)	角子菜
	Liancheng	菠薐菜
	Liancheng (Peitian)	菠薐菜
	Liancheng (Juxi)	菠菜
	Liancheng (Zhongbao)	菠菜
	Liancheng (Laiyuan)	菠菜
	Yudu	菠菜, 菠薐
	Ruijin	菠薐
	Shicheng	菠菜
	Shangyou (Shexi)	菠菜
	Taoyuan	角菜
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	角菜
	Miaoli (Zaoqiao; N. Sixian)	角菜
	Miaoli (Touwu; N. Sixian)	角菜
	Miaoli (Nanzhuang; N. Sixian)	角菜
	Miaoli (Shitan; N. Sixian)	角菜
	Miaoli (Sanwan; N. Sixian)	角菜
	Miaoli (Toufen; N. Sixian)	角菜
	Miaoli (Gongguan; N. Sixian)	角菜
	Miaoli (Zhuolan; N. Sixian)	角菜
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	角菜仔
	Pingtung (Wuluo, Ligang; S. Sixian)	角仔菜
	Kaohsiung (Meinong; S. Sixian)	角菜
	Kaohsiung (Shanlin; S. Sixian)	角仔菜
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	角菜
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	角菜
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	角菜
	Miaoli (Zhuolan; Raoping)	角菜
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	角子菜
Hong Kong	角菜
Fumian (Xisha, Xinqiao)	菠菜
Luchuan (Daqiao)	菠菜
Luchuan (Sihe, Hengshan)	菠菜
Bobai (Cuntou, Xintian)	角菜
Beiliu (Mumian, Xilang)	角菜
Xingye (Gaofeng)	菠菜
Rongxian (Xiandi)	菠菜
Sabah (Longchuan)	菠菜
Kuala Lumpur (Dabu)	菠菜
Senai (Huiyang)	菠菜
Bangkok (Meixian)	菠薐, 角菜
Bangkok (Fengshun)	菠薐菜
Huizhou	Jixi	菠菜
	Shexian	菠菜
	Huangshan (Tunxi)	甜菜, 菠菜
	Xiuning	菠菜, 甜菜
	Yixian	菠龍
	Qimen	菠菜
	Wuyuan	菠菜
Jin	Taiyuan	菠菜, 青菜
	Pingyao	青菜
	Yangyuan	菠菜
	Datong	菠菜
	Xinzhou	青菜
	Lüliang (Lishi)	菠菜, 青菜
	Changzhi	菠菜
	Linhe	菠菜
	Jining	菠菜
	Hohhot	菠菜
	Erenhot	菠菜
	Pingshan	菠菜, 青菜
	Zhangjiakou	菠菜
	Handan	菠菜, 青菜
	Linzhou	青菜
	Suide	菠菜
Northern Min	Jian'ou	菠薐
	Jian'ou (Dikou)	菠薐菜
	Zhenghe (Zhenqian)	菠薐
	Jianyang	菠薐
	Wuyishan	菠薐
	Pucheng (Shibei)	菠薐
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	菠薐菜, 菠薐
	Fuzhou (Changle)	菠薐菜
	Fuqing	菠薐菜
	Yongtai	紅根菜
	Gutian	紅根菜
	Fu'an	紅頭菜
	Ningde	紅根菜
	Shouning	紅根菜
	Zhouning	紅頭菜
	Fuding	紅根菜
Southern Min	Xiamen	菠薐菜, 赤根菜
	Xiamen (Tong'an)	赤根
	Quanzhou	菠倫菜
	Zhangzhou	菠薐菜
	Zhangzhou (Changtai)	菠薐仔
	Zhao'an	菠薐
	Dongshan	菠薐菜
	Taipei	菠薐仔, 菠薐仔菜
	Taipei (Wanhua)	菠薐
	New Taipei (Tamsui)	菠薐
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	菠薐仔
	New Taipei (Pingxi)	菠薐仔
	Kaohsiung	菠薐仔
	Kaohsiung (Cijin)	菠薐仔
	Kaohsiung (Hongmaogang, Siaogang)	菠薐仔
	Kaohsiung (Dalinpu, Siaogang)	菠薐仔菜
	Kaohsiung (Tianliao)	菠薐仔
	Yilan	菠薐仔
	Yilan (Luodong)	菠薐仔
	Yilan (Toucheng)	菠薐仔
	Changhua (Lukang)	菠薐仔, 菠薐仔菜
	Taichung	菠薐仔
	Taichung (Wuqi)	菠薐仔菜
	Tainan	菠薐仔, 菠薐
	Tainan (Anping)	菠薐仔
	Taitung	菠薐仔
	Hsinchu	菠薐菜, 菠薐仔
	Kinmen	菠薐菜
	Penghu (Magong)	菠薐
	Penghu (Xiyu)	菠薐
	Penang (Hokkien)	菠薐, bayam菜
	Singapore (Hokkien)	菠薐菜, 菠薐仔, 菠薐
	Manila (Hokkien)	菠倫菜
	Longyan	角仔菜
	Zhangping	角仔菜
	Zhangping (Yongfu)	角仔菜
	Datian	紅根菜
	Pingnan (Shangdu)	菠菜
	Pingnan (Sijie)	菠菜
	Pingle (Zhoutang)	菠菜
	Lechang (Tatou)	角菜
	Yingde (Yuzui)	菠薐菜
	Yunan (Liantan)	菠菜
	Chaozhou	菠薐
	Raoping	菠薐
	Shantou	菠薐
	Shantou (Chenghai)	菠薐
	Shantou (Chaoyang)	菠菜
	Nan'ao (Houzhai)	菠薐
	Nan'ao (Yun'ao)	菠薐
	Jieyang	菠薐
	Haifeng	菠薐
	Bangkok (Teochew)	菠薐
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	菠薐
	Leizhou	菠菜
	Wenchang	菠菜
	Haikou	菠菜
	Qionghai	菠菜
Puxian Min	Putian	綿菜, 菠菜
	Putian (Donghai, Chengxiang)	綿菜
	Putian (Jiangkou, Hanjiang)	綿菜
	Putian (Nanri, Xiuyu)	綿菜
	Xianyou	綿菜
	Xianyou (Fengting)	綿菜
	Xianyou (Youyang)	綿菜
Central Min	Yong'an	菠薐菜
	Sanming (Sanyuan)	紅頭菜
	Sanming (Shaxian)	紅頭菜
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi)	菠菜
	Zhongshan (Sanxiang)	菠菜
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	菠菜
Northern Pinghua	Guilin (Dahe)	菠菜
Wu	Shanghai	菠菜
	Shanghai (Chongming)	菠菜
	Suzhou	菠菜
	Danyang	菠菜
	Hangzhou	菠菜
	Ningbo	菠薐, 菠菜
	Wenzhou	菠薐菜, 菠薐
	Jinhua	菠薐菜
	Jinhua (Tangxi)	菠薐菜
	Yongkang	菠薐菜
	Pujiang	菠薐菜
	Dongyang	菠薐菜
	Pan'an	菠薐菜
	Wuyi	菠薐菜
Xiang	Changsha	菠菜, 扯根菜
	Xiangtan	菠菜, 甜頭菜
	Loudi	菠菜, 扯根菜
	Shuangfeng	扯根菜
	Quanzhou	菠菜