Etymology

English names

The first recorded use of the word "China" is dated 1555.[nb 1][1] It is derived from Cin, a Persian name for China popularized in Europe by Marco Polo.[1][2] In early usage, "china" as a term for porcelain was spelled differently than the name of the country, the two words being derived from separate Persian words.[3] Both these words are derived from the Sanskrit word for China, Cīnā (चीन).[3] This word was first recorded in the 5th century BCE in Mahābhārata,[4][5] where it refers to a "yellow-colored" barbarian tribe from the north. This tribe is conventionally identified with Qin (秦) (778BC-207BC),[4][6] the westernmost of the Chinese kingdoms at this time, but may refer to an unknown group then inhabiting Tibet. China was historically referred to as Sina (hence "Sino-"), Sinae, Cathay, or Ceres.

Chinese names

The official name of China changed with each dynasty. The common name is Zhōngguó (中國 in traditional chinese or 中国 in simplified chinese). This translates as "central nation" or (traditionally) as "middle kingdom".
The official name of China changed with each dynasty. The common name is Zhōngguó (中國 in traditional chinese or 中国 in simplified chinese). This translates as "central nation" or (traditionally) as "middle kingdom".
The name Zhōngguó first appeared in the Classic of History (6th century BC), and was used to refer to the late Zhou Dynasty, as they believed that they were the "center of civilization,"[nb 2] while peoples in the four cardinals were called Eastern Yi, Southern Man, Western Rong and Northern Di respectively. Some texts imply that "Zhōngguó" was originally meant to refer to the capital of the sovereign, to differ from the capital of his vassals.[nb 3] The use of "Zhōngguó" implied a claim of political legitimacy, and "Zhōngguó" was often used by states who saw 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 "Zhōngguó."[nb 4]
Zhōngguó came to official use as an abbreviation for the Republic of China (Zhonghua Minguo) after the government's establishment in 1912. Since the People's Republic of China, established in 1949, now controls the great majority of the area encompassed within the traditional concept of "China", the People's Republic is the political unit most commonly identified with the abbreviated name Zhōngguó.[nb 5]