China

Borrowed from Portuguese China, from Persian ‎ from Middle Persian 𐭰𐭩𐭭‎ (čīn, “China”), from Sanskrit चीन (cīna, “the Chinese; China”) of uncertain etymology. It is usually thought to be derived from 秦 (qín, “Qin”), Middle Chinese: 秦 (MC d͡ziɪn), Old Chinese: 秦 (OC *zin), the westernmost ancient Chinese state, but other theories have been proposed, including derivation from 晉／晋 (jìn, “Jin”), Middle Chinese: 晉 (MC t͡siɪn^H), Old Chinese: 晉 (OC *ʔsins), 荊／荆 (jīng, “Jing”), or the Zina of 夜郎 (Yèláng, “Yelang”). See "Names of China" at Wikipedia.

Pronunciation

(UK, US) enPR: chī'nə, IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃaɪnə/, [ˈt͡ʃ(ʰ)aɪ̯nə]
Audio (US)
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Audio (US)
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Rhymes: -aɪnə

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.
Synonyms: (used for medieval northern China, now archaizing) Cathay, (inclusive of Taiwan, non-Han autonomous regions, and the SARs, but not always all Chinese claims) greater China, Han, Han Chinese civilization
- 1555, Richard Eden translating Peter Martyr as The Decades of the Newe Worlde..., folio 230 verso:
  The great China, whose kyng is thought... the greatest prince in the worlde.
- 1884, Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
  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^[1], volume 57, Oxford: Clarendon Press, →ISBN, OCLC 657935864, 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, Brent Scowcroft, A World Transformed‎^[2], 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.
The People's Republic of China, the principal state in this country.
Synonyms: Celestial Kingdom, Flowery Kingdom, Middle Kingdom
- 1971 December 6, "A Size-up of President Nixon: Interview with Mike Mansfield, Senate Democratic Leader", in US News & World Report, p. 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.
Synonym of mainland China
from Macau to China
(rare) A female given name transferred from the place name.
- 2001, Susan Wittig Albert, Bloodroot, Berkley Publishing Group, →ISBN, chapter 1, 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.

Synonyms

(principal states at different periods): Xia, Shang, Zhou (kingdoms); Qin, Han, Jin, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing (empires); Warring States, Three Kingdoms (regions); Republic of China or Chinese Republic, People's Republic of China or Chinese People's Republic

Derived terms

Descendants

→ Maori: Haina
→ Tokelauan: Haina

Related terms

Sino-

Translations

See China/translations § Proper noun.

Noun

China (plural Chinas)

(obsolete) A Chinese person.
(obsolete) Alternative form of cheyney: woollen stuff; items made or filled with cheyney.
(botany) Clipping of China rose: various flowers.
(botany, beverages) Clipping of China tea.
(rhyming slang) Alternative form of china: a mate, a friend.

Gallery

An 1844 map of China (i.e., the Qing Empire), including Taiwan, Mongolia, Korea, eastern 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, administered as Japan's Senkakus.

Anagrams

Anich, Chain, Chian, chain