Etymology China

Etymology
China
China (Chinese characters).svg
“China” in Simplified (top) and Traditional (bottom) Chinese characters

Simplified Chinese 中国
Traditional Chinese 中國
Hanyu Pinyin Zhōngguó
Literal meaning “Middle Kingdom” or “Central Kingdom”
Transcriptions
Main article: Names of China

China (today’s Guangdong), Mangi (inland of Xanton), and Cataio (inland of China and Chequan, and including the capital Cambalu, Xandu, and a marble bridge) are all shown as separate regions on this 1570 map by Abraham Ortelius
The word “China” has been used in English since the 16th century; however, it was not a word used by the Chinese themselves during this period in time. Its origin has been traced through Portuguese, Malay, and Persian back to the Sanskrit word Chīna, used in ancient India.[25]

“China” appears in Richard Eden’s 1555 translation[n] of the 1516 journal of the Portuguese explorer Duarte Barbosa.[o][25] Barbosa’s usage was derived from Persian Chīn (چین), which was in turn derived from Sanskrit Cīna (चीन).[30] Cīna was first used in

early Hindu scripture, including the Mahābhārata (5th century BCE) and the Laws of Manu (2nd century BCE).[31] In 1655, Martino Martini suggested that the word China is derived ultimately from the name of the Qin dynasty (221–206 BCE).[32][31] Although this derivation is still given in various sources,[33] the origin of the Sanskrit word is a matter of debate, according to the Oxford English Dictionary.[25] Alternative suggestions include the names for Yelang and the Jing or Chu state.[31][34]