Where does “mainland China” come from?
mainland China (English) comes from English China, from Portuguese china, from Medieval Latin Sina, from Latin Sīnae, from Ancient Greek Σῖναι, from Arabic صِين, from Pahlavi čīn, from Sanskrit चीन — {{w|Qin |State of Qin}}, {{w|Qin dynasty}}; Qin.
mainland China (English): The People's Republic of China, viewed as the general geographical region administered by the PRC in the aftermath of the Chinese Civil War (as opposed to Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan which are coastal and insular areas)
Definitions
- The People's Republic of China, viewed as the general geographical region administered by the PRC in the aftermath of the Chinese Civil War (as opposed to Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan which are coastal and insular areas)
Ancestry of “mainland China”, step by step
mainland China traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English China
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | China | A Chinese person; Alternative form of cheyney:... |
| 2 | Portuguese | china | a woman, especially one of Native American... |
| 3 | Medieval Latin | Sina | — |
| 4 | Latin | Sīnae | the Chinese, specifically |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | Σῖναι | the southern Chinese |
| 6 | Arabic | صِين | — |
| 7 | Pahlavi | čīn | — |
| 8 | Sanskrit | चीन | the Chinese people; China; a bandage for the... |
| 9 | Old Chinese | 秦 | {{w|Qin |State of Qin}}, {{w|Qin dynasty}}; Qin |
via English mainland
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | mainland | The continent; the principal land, as... |
| 2 | Middle English | mayne londe | A large swath of land or property; mainland; the... |
| 3 | Middle English | lond | An independent nation, country or realm; A tribe,... |
| 4 | Old English | land | land; a country; region within a country:... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | land | land, area of ground |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | landą | land, area of ground |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | lendʰ- | land, heath; loins |