CHINA  中國

MOST LARGE STATE in East Asia. [GEOGRPAHY]
Antonym
Hypernym
  • STATETERRITORY GOVERNED by an INDEPENDENT RULER.[[STAAT]]
    • TERRITORYPLACE INSIDE DEFINED BOUNDARIES.
      • PLACEPART of SPACE that THINGS BE-IN:are-in.
        • PARTOBJECT which COMBINES with OTHER OBJECTS to BECOME ONE LARGER WHOLE OBJECT....
See also
Old Chinese Criteria
睡虎地秦墓竹簡 1978: 226 臣邦人不安秦主而欲去夏者, 勿許. 何謂夏 ? 欲去親屬是謂夏.

The words for China have this in common that they do NOT designate any one state. 中國 "the central states" is implicitly plural when it does not refer to the capital city. 諸夏 the various Xià (states)" is explicitly plural. The standard Imperium Romanum has no counterpart in Chinese until very late, unless one admits 天下 "all under Heaven" as a designation for the empire. But 天下 does not define any bounded empire. It remains to be seen exactly when a standard term for China was took shape. Compare the problems of finding a term for the Chinese language.

Based on 顧頡剛 & 王樹民, “ 夏 ” 和 “ 中國 ”— 祖國古代的稱號, Zhongguo lishi dili luncong, Vol. 1 (Xi'an, 1981), 6-22).

In the Shu and Shi sections relating to the early Zhou, 區夏 (= 夏區 ), 有夏 and 時夏 (= 是夏 ) refers to the place in which the Zhou established their capital after their conquest of Shang, in contradistinction to Zhou 掇 homeland in the West ( 西土 ) and the close Zhou allies ( 一二邦 ). The Zhou referred to their own domain as 烠 he central city-state � ( 中國 ). Since 中國 in this usage refers to the territory directly governed by the Zhou, it is singular and used in exchange with 京師 and in contradistinction with 四方 and 四國. Other states also referred to their capital regions as 啎什縕 (thus Wu in GY 19.09.01/618); a (perhaps late) variant of this word is 啎尹塹 (Yugong).

After becoming strong, the states enfeoffed by Zhou asserted the community with the 周 by commencing to refer to themselves as 堔 L �, leading to the plural designation 埣悎 L �, used in contrast with designations like 啈 i 狄�. The distinction between the two groups was viewed as cultural, and its precise reference shifted over time, originally excluding states (like 楚 ) from the community of 諸夏 but later including them, or including them in the beginning, whilst later excluding them (like 秦 ). Some of the non- 諸夏 states were viewed as subservient to 諸夏 states, others as their enemies. The membership of 楚 to the 諸夏 circle was always insecure; it was, so to speak, was"always on probation.

The 東夏 made up a subdivision of the 諸夏, including states such a 齊 and 魯.

In parallel with the 堔 L � appellations arose the 埽寊 appellations, 埽寊 on its own and 埣捄寊, and, the two words may well be cognate, the common 埽堮 L �.

In the Warring States period the cultural distinction gave way to a geographical distinction, and the 中國 states were now the state occupying the Central Plain

Modern Chinese Criteria
中國

華夏

中華

華

赤縣

神州

九州

九區

九有

九囿

九圍

九原

九域

赤縣神州

rough draft to BEGIN TO identify synonym group members for analysis, based on CL etc. 18.11.2003. CH ／

  • 論衡同義詞研究 ( LUNHENG TONGYI 2004) p. 29

  • 中華古代文化辭典 Zhonghua gudai wenhua cidian ( QIAN YULIN 1996) p. 11-29

    This provides a survey of basic geographic terms.

  • 中國文化背景八千詞 Zhongguo wenhua beijing ba qian ci ( WU SANXING 2008) p. 35-38

  • 古漢語常用詞同義詞詞典 ( HONG CHENGYU 2009) p. 161/164

  • From Exclusive Xia to Inclusive Zhu-Xia Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society ( CHEN ZHI 2004) p.

Words

中國  zhōng guó OC: krluŋ kʷɯɯɡ MC: ʈuŋ kək 49 Attributions

    Word relations
  • Oppos: 四夷/BARBARIAN Sì dí 四狄 is a general term for the various types of peoples that were not taken to belong the Huáxiá 華夏 community, but more specifically to those of the north. Sometimes the term wǔ yí 五夷 is used.

    Syntactic words
  • NPadNof the central state(s) 中國民
  • NPIndefiniteA central stateJG
  • NPpluralcentral states (central within the Four Seas, often, but not always, excluding states like Chu and Qin)
  • NPprvery late texts only: China
九州  jiǔ zhōu OC: kuʔ kju MC: kɨu tɕɨu 28 Attributions
    Syntactic words
  • NPprthe Nine Provinces (of China) [This is pervasively difficult to distinguish from the more universal and almost cosmographic notion of the Nine Continents.)
諸夏  zhū xià OC: klja ɡraaʔ MC: tɕi̯ɤ ɦɣɛ 12 Attributions

諸夏 refers to the various territories construed as originally under Xià influence; the various successor peoples of the (civilised 雅) Xià

    Word relations
  • Oppos: 夷狄/BARBARIAN Yí and Dí barbarians> by metonymy: barbarians in general. Perhaps the most current general word for peoples who were taken not to belong to the Huáxiá 華夏 community is yí dí 夷狄.

    Syntactic words
  • NP{PadN}the various states originally under Xià influence
夏  xià OC: ɡraaʔ MC: ɦɣɛ 11 Attributions

    Word relations
  • Ant: 夷/BARBARIAN Yí 夷 was originally a name of eastern barbarians, later it came to be used as a general term for barbarians.

    Syntactic words
  • nthe place inhabited by the Xia people
  • n[adN]N=humthe Chinese;
  • nadNChinese-style
  • nsubj=nonhumanwhat is Chinese
  • vito have the typical features of those from the Central Plain, be "Chinese"LZ
漢  hàn OC: qhlaans MC: hɑn 9 Attributions
    Syntactic words
  • nadNChinese
  • nprChina
此土  cǐ tǔ OC: tsheʔ kh-laaʔ MC: tshiɛ thuo̝ 7 Attributions
    Syntactic words
  • NPthis land> China
  • NPadSin this land> China
諸華  zhū huá OC: klja ɢʷraal MC: tɕi̯ɤ ɦɣɛ 3 Attributions
    Syntactic words
  • NPthe various Chinese states
唐  táng OC: ɡ-laaŋ MC: dɑŋ 1 Attribution
    Syntactic words
  • NPadSin China
秦  qín OC: dzin MC: dzin 1 Attribution
    Syntactic words
  • nadNChinese
  • nprchina
中夏  zhōng xià OC: krluŋ ɡraaʔ MC: ʈuŋ ɦɣɛ 1 Attribution
    Syntactic words
  • NPprChina BAN GU, 西京賦 T50n2059_p0326c12(02)║ 還歸中夏。 自燉煌至長安。 沿路傳譯寫為晉文。
中州  zhōng zhōu OC: krluŋ kju MC: ʈuŋ tɕɨu 1 Attribution
    Syntactic words
  • NPprChina
唐國  táng guó OC: ɡ-laaŋ kʷɯɯɡ MC: dɑŋ kək 1 Attribution
    Syntactic words
  • NPprChina
大漢  dà hàn OC: daads qhlaans MC: dɑi hɑn 1 Attribution
    Syntactic words
  • NPprChina (during Han dynasty AND AFTERWARDS)
州里  zhōu lǐ OC: kju ɡ-rɯʔ MC: tɕɨu lɨ 1 Attribution
    Syntactic words
  • NPprthe civilised regions with regular administration
東土  dōng tǔ OC: tooŋ kh-laaʔ MC: tuŋ thuo̝ 1 Attribution
    Syntactic words
  • NPprthe Eastern Lands> China??
東方  dōng fāng OC: tooŋ paŋ MC: tuŋ pi̯ɐŋ 1 Attribution
    Syntactic words
  • NPprChina
漢土  hàn tǔ OC: qhlaans kh-laaʔ MC: hɑn thuo̝ 1 Attribution
    Syntactic words
  • NPthe territory of the Hàn > China
聖國  shèng guó OC: qhljeŋs kʷɯɯɡ MC: ɕiɛŋ kək 1 Attribution
    Syntactic words
  • NPprthe "Holy" Country
華夏  huá xià OC: ɢʷraal ɡraaʔ MC: ɦɣɛ ɦɣɛ 1 Attribution

    Word relations
  • Oppos: 蠻夷/BARBARIAN Mán yí 蠻夷 is another term referring generically to the peoples who were taken not to belong to the Huáxiá 華夏 community, and more specifically to the barbarians of the south and east.

    Syntactic words
  • NPprChina 《書‧武成》："華夏蠻貊，罔不率俾。"
震旦  zhèn dàn OC: kljɯns taans MC: tɕin tɑn 1 Attribution
    Syntactic words
  • NPpr(BUDDH:) China (in Buddhist texts only)
我國家  wǒ guó jiā OC: ŋaalʔ kʷɯɯɡ kraa MC: ŋɑ kək kɣɛ 1 Attribution
    Syntactic words
  • NPadSin China
中  zhōng OC: krluŋ MC: ʈuŋ 0 Attributions
    Syntactic words
  • nadNChinese
中土  zhōng tǔ OC: krluŋ kh-laaʔ MC: ʈuŋ thuo̝ 0 Attributions
    Syntactic words
  • NPprChina HOUHANSHU
中華  zhōng huá OC: krluŋ ɢʷraal MC: ʈuŋ ɦɣɛ 0 Attributions
    Syntactic words
  • NPprChina SANGUOZHI
中邦  zhōng bāng OC: krluŋ prooŋ MC: ʈuŋ pɣɔŋ 0 Attributions
    Syntactic words
  • NPprChina
九區  jiǔ qū OC: kuʔ kho MC: kɨu khi̯o 0 Attributions
    Syntactic words
  • NPprthe Nine Regions> China
九有  jiǔ yǒu OC: kuʔ ɢʷɯʔ MC: kɨu ɦɨu 0 Attributions
    Syntactic words
  • NPprthe Nine Existing Ones> China
京夏  jīng xià OC: kraŋ ɡraaʔ MC: kɣaŋ ɦɣɛ 0 Attributions
    Syntactic words
  • NPprChina 蔡邕
函夏  hán xià OC: ɡuum ɡraaʔ MC: ɦəm ɦɣɛ 0 Attributions
    Syntactic words
  • NPprChina HANSHU
區夏  qū xià OC: kho ɡraaʔ MC: khi̯o ɦɣɛ 0 Attributions
    Syntactic words
  • NPprChina SHU
方夏  fāng xià OC: paŋ ɡraaʔ MC: pi̯ɐŋ ɦɣɛ 0 Attributions
    Syntactic words
  • NPprChina SHU
河洛  hé luò OC: ɡlaal ɡ-raaɡ MC: ɦɑ lɑk
河雒  hé luò OC: ɡlaal ɡ-raaɡ MC: ɦɑ lɑk 0 Attributions
    Syntactic words
  • NPprcentral China between the Luo and the Yellow River.
漢地  hàn dì OC: qhlaans lils MC: hɑn di 0 Attributions
    Syntactic words
  • NPprChina
神州  shén zhōu OC: ɢljin kju MC: ʑin tɕɨu 0 Attributions
    Syntactic words
  • NPprChina SHIJI
神縣  shén xiàn OC: ɢljin ɢʷeens MC: ʑin ɦen 0 Attributions
    Syntactic words
  • NPprChina 江淹
赤縣  chì xiàn OC: khjaɡ ɢʷeens MC: tɕhiɛk ɦen 0 Attributions
    Syntactic words
  • NPprChina

Existing SW for

Here are Syntactic Words already defined in the database: