Where does “china” come from?
china (Portuguese) comes from Medieval Latin Sina, from Latin Sīnae, from Ancient Greek Σῖναι, from Arabic صِين, from Pahlavi čīn, from Sanskrit चीन, from Old Chinese 秦 — {{w|Qin |State of Qin}}, {{w|Qin dynasty}}; Qin.
china (Portuguese): a woman, especially one of Native American...
Definitions
- a woman, especially one of Native American...
Ancestry of “china”, step by step
china traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Medieval Latin Sina
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medieval Latin | Sina | — |
| 2 | Latin | Sīnae | the Chinese, specifically |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | Σῖναι | the southern Chinese |
| 4 | Arabic | صِين | — |
| 5 | Pahlavi | čīn | — |
| 6 | Sanskrit | चीन | the Chinese people; China; a bandage for the... |
| 7 | Old Chinese | 秦 | {{w|Qin |State of Qin}}, {{w|Qin dynasty}}; Qin |