china

See also: China and čhína

English

Alternative forms

• China (generally dated)
• (dialectal): chiney, cheny, cheney, chenea, chainy, chaney, chany, chaynee, chayney, cheenie, cheeny, chainé

Etymology

From clippings of attributive use of China, q.v., the country in East Asia. In reference to porcelain and porcelain objects, via clipping of china-ware and via this sense of Persian چین‎ (čini) in Persia and India, which influenced the pronunciation (see below). In reference to medicine, via clipping of China root. In reference to flowers, via clipping of China rose. In reference to tea, via clipping of China tea. In Cockney slang, a clipping of china plate as a rhyme of mate (“friend”). In reference to drum cymbals, a clipping of China cymbal and as a genericization of a kind of Zildjian-brand cymbal.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃaɪnə/

  • Audio (GB)

    (file)

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

  • Audio (AU)

    (file)

• (obsolete) IPA^(key): /ˈtʃeɪnɪ/, /ˈtʃiːnɪ/
• Rhymes: -aɪnə

Noun

china (countable and uncountable, plural chinas)

1. (uncountable) Synonym of porcelain, a hard white translucent ceramic made from kaolin, now (chiefly US) sometimes distinguished in reference to tableware as fine or good china.

   It's a china doll.

2. (uncountable) Chinaware: porcelain tableware.
   • 1634, Thomas Herbert, A Relation of Some Yeares Trauaile, Begunne Anno 1626. into Afrique and the Greater Asia, page 41:

     They sell Callicoes, Cheney Sattin, Cheney ware.

   • 1653, Henry Cogan translating Fernão Mendes Pinto as The Voyages and Adventures of Fernand Mendez Pinto, p. 206:

     ...a Present of certain very rich Pieces of China.

   He set the table with china, cloth napkins, and crystal stemware.

   The traditional 20th anniversary gift is china.

3. (uncountable, chiefly US, dated) Cheaper and lower-quality ceramic and ceramic tableware, distinguished from porcelain.
   • 1921 May 11, “Edison Questions Stir Up a Storm”, in New York Times:

     What is porcelain? A fine earthenware differing from china in being harder, whiter, harder to fuse and more translucent than ordinary pottery.

4. (uncountable) Synonym of China root, the root of Smilax china (particularly) as a medicine.
   • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition II, section 5, member 1, subsection v:

     China, saith Manardus, makes a good colour in the face, takes away melancholy, and all infirmities proceeding from cold […].

5. (uncountable, obsolete) Synonym of cheyney: worsted or woolen stuff.
   • 1790, Alexander Wilson, Poems, page 55:

     ...And then the last boon I'll implore,
     Is to bless us with China so tight...

6. (countable) Synonym of China rose, in its various senses.
   • 1844, Jane Loudon, The Ladies' Companion to the Flower Garden, 3rd edition, page 344:

     Rosa indica (the common China); Rosa semperflorens (the monthly China).

8. (countable, Cockney rhyming slang, Australia, South Africa) Synonym of mate (rhyme of china-plate).

   All right, me old china?

   • 1880, Daniel William Barrett, Life and Work among the Navvies, 2nd edition, page 41:

     ‘Now, then, my china-plate...’ This is essentially a brick~layer's phrase. If for ‘china-plate’ you substitute ‘mate’, […] the puzzle is revealed.

   • 1925, Edward Fraser et al., Soldier and Sailor Words and Phrases, page 53:

     China, or Old China: chum.

9. (uncountable, dated) Tea from China, (particularly) varieties cured by smoking or opposed to Indian cultivars.
   • 1907, Yesterday's Shopping, page 1:

     Tea... Finest China, Plain (Moning).

10. (countable, games, chiefly US, obsolete) A glazed china marble.
    • 1932 March, Dan Beard, “New-Fashioned Kites and Old-Fashioned Marbles”, in Boys' Life, page 27:

      The marbles, in those days, had their primitive names. The unglazed china ones were called plasters because they looked like plaster; the glazed china marbles were called chinas. I remember how charming were the partly colored lines which encircled them.

11. (countable, music) A kind of drum cymbal approximating a Chinese style of cymbal, but usually with Turkish influences.
    • 2010, Carmine Appice, Drums for Everyone, page 78:

      China cymbals are a type of short sound cymbal. [Brand X] makes chinas with really short sounds.

Derived terms

• bone china, bull in a china shop, china-blue, china-closet, china doll, china eye, china-fancier, china-glaze, china-house, china-hunter, china-like, china mark, china money, china-oven, china-painting, china-paints, china-shell, china-shop, china-stone, china-tipper, china token, china wedding, china blue, china clay, china marker, china pencil

Translations

porcelain tableware

• Albanian: bilur (sq)
• Arabic: صِينِيَّة‎ (ar) f (ṣīniyya)
• Estonian: portselan
• Finnish: posliiniastia, posliiniastiasto
• Galician: porcelana f
• Japanese: 磁器 (ja) (じき, jiki)
• Ladino: chiní m
• Norman: vaisselle dé porcélaine f (Jersey)
• Persian: چینی‎ (fa)
• Portuguese: louça (pt) f
• Scots: cheenae
• Swedish: porslin (sv) n

Turco-Chinese drum cymbal

• Japanese: チャイナシンバル (chaina shinbaru)

References

• “China, n.¹ and adj.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 1889.
• “china”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.

Anagrams

• Anich, Chain, Chian, chain

Asturian

Adjective

china

1. feminine singular of chinu

Franco-Provençal

Noun

china f

1. female dog

Coordinate terms

• chin

French

Verb

china

1. third-person singular past historic of chiner

Anagrams

• nicha

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈki.na/
• Rhymes: -ina
• Hyphenation: chì‧na

Etymology 1

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Adjective

china f sg

1. feminine singular of chino

Etymology 2

Deverbal from chinare +‎ -a.

Noun

china f (plural chine)

1. slope, decline, descent

   Synonyms: pendio, declivio, discesa

Related terms

• chinare
• chinato

 

Etymology 3

Borrowed from Spanish quina, quinaquina, from Quechua.

Noun

china f (plural chine)

1. cinchona (tree)

Related terms

• chinidina
• chinina

 

Etymology 4

From Portuguese China, namely "ink of China".

Noun

china f (plural chine)

1. Indian ink

Etymology 5

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

china

1. inflection of chinare:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Japanese

Romanization

china

1. Rōmaji transcription of ちな

Kalasha

Adjective

china

1. Alternative spelling of čhína

Portuguese

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈʃĩ.nɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈʃĩ.nɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈʃi.na/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈʃi.nɐ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈʃi.nɐ/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃi.nɐ/

• Homophone: China

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Spanish china, from Quechua china (“female”).

Noun

china f (plural chinas)

1. (Rio Grande do Sul) a woman, especially one of Native American descent

Etymology 2

From China.

Noun

china m or f by sense (plural chinas)

1. (dated or informal) Chinaman; Chinese; someone from China

   Synonym: chinês

Quechua

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃina/

Noun

china

1. female (of humans or animals)
2. a woman of low social status
3. servant, slavegirl

Declension

declension of china

	singular	plural
nominative	china	chinakuna
accusative	chinata	chinakunata
dative	chinaman	chinakunaman
genitive	chinap	chinakunap
locative	chinapi	chinakunapi
terminative	chinakama	chinakunakama
ablative	chinamanta	chinakunamanta
instrumental	chinawan	chinakunawan
comitative	chinantin	chinakunantin
abessive	chinannaq	chinakunannaq
comparative	chinahina	chinakunahina
causative	chinarayku	chinakunarayku
benefactive	chinapaq	chinakunapaq
associative	chinapura	chinakunapura
distributive	chinanka	chinakunanka
exclusive	chinalla	chinakunalla

possessive forms of china

ñuqap - first-person singular

ñuqap (my)	singular	plural
nominative	chinay	chinaykuna
accusative	chinayta	chinaykunata
dative	chinayman	chinaykunaman
genitive	chinaypa	chinaykunap
locative	chinaypi	chinaykunapi
terminative	chinaykama	chinaykunakama
ablative	chinaymanta	chinaykunamanta
instrumental	chinaywan	chinaykunawan
comitative	chinaynintin	chinaykunantin
abessive	chinayninnaq	chinaykunannaq
comparative	chinayhina	chinaykunahina
causative	chinayrayku	chinaykunarayku
benefactive	chinaypaq	chinaykunapaq
associative	chinaypura	chinaykunapura
distributive	chinayninka	chinaykunanka
exclusive	chinaylla	chinaykunalla

qampa - second-person singular

qampa (your)	singular	plural
nominative	chinayki	chinaykikuna
accusative	chinaykita	chinaykikunata
dative	chinaykiman	chinaykikunaman
genitive	chinaykipa	chinaykikunap
locative	chinaykipi	chinaykikunapi
terminative	chinaykikama	chinaykikunakama
ablative	chinaykimanta	chinaykikunamanta
instrumental	chinaykiwan	chinaykikunawan
comitative	chinaykintin	chinaykikunantin
abessive	chinaykinnaq	chinaykikunannaq
comparative	chinaykihina	chinaykikunahina
causative	chinaykirayku	chinaykikunarayku
benefactive	chinaykipaq	chinaykikunapaq
associative	chinaykipura	chinaykikunapura
distributive	chinaykinka	chinaykikunanka
exclusive	chinaykilla	chinaykikunalla

paypa - third-person singular

paypa (his/her/its)	singular	plural
nominative	chinan	chinankuna
accusative	chinanta	chinankunata
dative	chinanman	chinankunaman
genitive	chinanpa	chinankunap
locative	chinanpi	chinankunapi
terminative	chinankama	chinankunakama
ablative	chinanmanta	chinankunamanta
instrumental	chinanwan	chinankunawan
comitative	chinanintin	chinankunantin
abessive	chinanninnaq	chinankunannaq
comparative	chinanhina	chinankunahina
causative	chinanrayku	chinankunarayku
benefactive	chinanpaq	chinankunapaq
associative	chinanpura	chinankunapura
distributive	chinaninka	chinankunanka
exclusive	chinanlla	chinankunalla

ñuqanchikpa - first-person inclusive plural

ñuqanchikpa (our(incl))	singular	plural
nominative	chinanchik	chinanchikkuna
accusative	chinanchikta	chinanchikkunata
dative	chinanchikman	chinanchikkunaman
genitive	chinanchikpa	chinanchikkunap
locative	chinanchikpi	chinanchikkunapi
terminative	chinanchikkama	chinanchikkunakama
ablative	chinanchikmanta	chinanchikkunamanta
instrumental	chinanchikwan	chinanchikkunawan
comitative	chinanchiknintin	chinanchikkunantin
abessive	chinanchikninnaq	chinanchikkunannaq
comparative	chinanchikhina	chinanchikkunahina
causative	chinanchikrayku	chinanchikkunarayku
benefactive	chinanchikpaq	chinanchikkunapaq
associative	chinanchikpura	chinanchikkunapura
distributive	chinanchikninka	chinanchikkunanka
exclusive	chinanchiklla	chinanchikkunalla

ñuqaykup - first-person exclusive plural

ñuqaykup (our(excl))	singular	plural
nominative	chinayku	chinaykukuna
accusative	chinaykuta	chinaykukunata
dative	chinaykuman	chinaykukunaman
genitive	chinaykupa	chinaykukunap
locative	chinaykupi	chinaykukunapi
terminative	chinaykukama	chinaykukunakama
ablative	chinaykumanta	chinaykukunamanta
instrumental	chinaykuwan	chinaykukunawan
comitative	chinaykuntin	chinaykukunantin
abessive	chinaykunnaq	chinaykukunannaq
comparative	chinaykuhina	chinaykukunahina
causative	chinaykurayku	chinaykukunarayku
benefactive	chinaykupaq	chinaykukunapaq
associative	chinaykupura	chinaykukunapura
distributive	chinaykunka	chinaykukunanka
exclusive	chinaykulla	chinaykukunalla

qamkunap - second-person plural

qamkunap (your(pl))	singular	plural
nominative	chinaykichik	chinaykichikkuna
accusative	chinaykichikta	chinaykichikkunata
dative	chinaykichikman	chinaykichikkunaman
genitive	chinaykichikpa	chinaykichikkunap
locative	chinaykichikpi	chinaykichikkunapi
terminative	chinaykichikkama	chinaykichikkunakama
ablative	chinaykichikmanta	chinaykichikkunamanta
instrumental	chinaykichikwan	chinaykichikkunawan
comitative	chinaykichiknintin	chinaykichikkunantin
abessive	chinaykichikninnaq	chinaykichikkunannaq
comparative	chinaykichikhina	chinaykichikkunahina
causative	chinaykichikrayku	chinaykichikkunarayku
benefactive	chinaykichikpaq	chinaykichikkunapaq
associative	chinaykichikpura	chinaykichikkunapura
distributive	chinaykichikninka	chinaykichikkunanka
exclusive	chinaykichiklla	chinaykichikkunalla

paykunap - third-person plural

paykunap (their)	singular	plural
nominative	chinanku	chinankukuna
accusative	chinankuta	chinankukunata
dative	chinankuman	chinankukunaman
genitive	chinankupa	chinankukunap
locative	chinankupi	chinankukunapi
terminative	chinankukama	chinankukunakama
ablative	chinankumanta	chinankukunamanta
instrumental	chinankuwan	chinankukunawan
comitative	chinankuntin	chinankukunantin
abessive	chinankunnaq	chinankukunannaq
comparative	chinankuhina	chinankukunahina
causative	chinankurayku	chinankukunarayku
benefactive	chinankupaq	chinankukunapaq
associative	chinankupura	chinankukunapura
distributive	chinankunka	chinankukunanka
exclusive	chinankulla	chinankukunalla

References

• “china” in Academia Mayor de la Lengua Quechua (2006) Diccionario quechua-español-quechua, 2nd edition, Cusco: Edmundo Pantigozo.

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃina/ [ˈt͡ʃi.na]
• Rhymes: -ina
• Syllabification: chi‧na

Etymology 1

From the infantile/nursery word chin, a children's guessing game.

Noun

china f (plural chinas)

1. pebble, small stone (usually rounded)
2. (Venezuela) slingshot

Derived terms

• enchinar
• tirachinas

 

Related terms

• chin

 

Etymology 2

Noun

china f (plural chinas)

1. female equivalent of chino (“Chinese man”)
2. china (porcelain)
3. (Puerto Rico) orange, sweet orange
4. (colloquial, Cuba) chickenpox

   Synonym: varicela

Adjective

china

1. feminine singular of chino

Etymology 3

Borrowed from Quechua china (“female”).

Noun

china f (plural chinas)

1. (derogatory, South America) female servant in a hacienda
2. (Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua) babysitter

   Synonym: niñera

Etymology 4

Allusion to the orange fruit's Asian origin (as in sinensis in Citrus sinensis).

Noun

china f (plural chinas)

1. (Puerto Rico) orange (fruit)

Further reading

• “china”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014