Where does “China” come from?
China derives from Portuguese China, which comes from Sanskrit चीन (chīn), a word of unknown ultimate origin.
China (English): A Chinese person; Alternative form of cheyney:...
Definitions
- A Chinese person; Alternative form of cheyney:...
Ancestry of “China”, step by step
China traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Portuguese china
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portuguese | china | a woman, especially one of Native American... |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | Sina | — |
| 3 | Latin | Sīnae | the Chinese, specifically |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | Σῖναι | the southern Chinese |
| 5 | Arabic | صِين | — |
| 6 | Pahlavi | čīn | — |
| 7 | Sanskrit | चीन | the Chinese people; China; a bandage for the... |
| 8 | Old Chinese | 秦 | {{w|Qin |State of Qin}}, {{w|Qin dynasty}}; Qin |
via Japanese 知名
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japanese | 知名 | well-known; famous |