Xensi

English

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Proper noun

Xensi

1. (obsolete) Synonym of Shaanxi
   • 1655, F. Alvarez Semedo, “Bellum Tartaricum”, in The History of That Great and Renowned Monarchy of China‎^[1], E. Tyler, →OCLC, page 303:

     And thus (as he ſaid) having purged his Army, he marched on into the Province of Xenſi to meet the Tartars, but as he marched, if he found any man remaining alive, he commanded him to be killed.

   • 1669, John Nievhoff, “Of ſome THINGS more then NATURAL, and ſtrange POOLS.”, in John Ogilby, transl., An Embassy from the Eaſt-India Company of the United Provinces, to the Grand Tartar Cham Emperour of China‎^[2], London: John Macock, →OCLC, page 273:

     In the Province of Xenſi, near the City Vucung, is a Hill called Taipe, which if a Drum be beaten upon it, preſently followeth Thunder, Lightning, and ſtormy weather, inſomuch that the Magiſtrates have forbidden all perſons upon pain of death to beat any Drum there.

   • 1693, Robert Morden, “Of China”, in Geography Rectified; or a Description of the World‎^[3], 3rd edition, →OCLC, page 439:

     The Province of Xenſi extends to the Kingdom of Preſter John. Caſcar and Thebet, which the Chineſes in a general Name call Sifan it is a large Province, and is divided into eight Counties, having one hundred and eighty Cities: Sigan is the Metropolis of the whole, ſeated on the River Guei, in a moſt pleaſant and delightful place, of a noble Proſpect, and good Trade.

   • 1810, Luís de Camões, “The Lusiad”, in William Julius Mickle, transl., edited by Samuel Johnson and Alexander Chalmers, The Works of the English Poets, from Chaucer to Cowper‎^[4], volume XXI, Georg Olms Verlag, published 1971, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 772:

     In 1625, in digging for a foundation near Siganfu, metropolis of the province of Xensi, was found a stone with a cross on it, full of Chinese and some Syriac characters, containing the names of bishops, and an account of the Christian religion, “that it was brought from Judea ; that having been weakened, it was renewed under the reign of the great Tam,” (cir. A. D. 630.)

Translations

Shaanxi — see Shaanxi

Anagrams

• *nixes, nixes