answersLogoWhite

0

China is called Zhongguo (中國 or 中国) in Chinese. The character zhōng (中) means "middle" or "central," while guó (国 or 國) means "state". The term is commonly translated into English as "Middle Kingdom", but is also sometimes translated as "Central Kingdom".

The name "Zhongguo" appeared first in the Classic of History (6th Century BC), and was used to refer to the late Zhou Dynasty, as they believe that they were the "center of civilization", while peoples in the four cardinals were called Eastern Yi, Southern Man, Western Rong and Northern Di respectively. Some texts imply that "Zhongguo" was originally meant to refer to the capital of the emperor, to differ from the capital of his vassels. The use "Zhongguo" implied a claim of political legitimacy. "Zhongguo" was often used by states who see themselves as the sole legitimate successor to previous Chinese dynasties; for example, in the era of the Southern Song Dynasty, both the Jin Dynasty and the Southern Song state claimed to be "Zhongguo".

"Zhongguo" came to official use as an abbreviation for the Republic of China (Zhonghua Minguo) after the government's establishment in 1912. The People's Republic of China, established in 1949, is identified with the abbreviated name "Zhongguo".

English and many other languages use various forms of the name "China" and the prefix "Sino-" or "Sin-". These forms are thought to derive from the name of the Qin Dynasty that first unified the country (221-206 BCE). The pronunciation of "Qin" is similar to "Chin", which is considered the possible root of the word "China".

User Avatar

Wiki User

14y ago

Still curious? Ask our experts.

Chat with our AI personalities

BlakeBlake
As your older brother, I've been where you are—maybe not exactly, but close enough.
Chat with Blake
ReneRene
Change my mind. I dare you.
Chat with Rene
DevinDevin
I've poured enough drinks to know that people don't always want advice—they just want to talk.
Chat with Devin
More answers

The Chinese came from the Yangzte and Yellow River.

User Avatar

Wiki User

12y ago
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: Where did Chinese came from?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp