印度

Chinese

		stamp; seal; mark stamp; seal; mark; print; India (abbrev.)	capacity; degree; standard
trad. (印度)		印	度
simp. ^#(印度)		印	度

Etymology

A transcription of an exonym for India during the Tang dynasty.

Introduced by Xuanzang (a Chinese Buddhist monk who had travelled to India) in his book The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions [646 CE], Xuanzang proposed that this “correct” name be used, in preference to the many other alternative names for India:

詳夫天竺之稱，異議糾紛，舊云身毒，或曰賢豆，今從正音，宜云印度。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]

详夫天竺之称，异议纠纷，旧云身毒，或曰贤豆，今从正音，宜云印度。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

From: Xuanzang, Great Tang Records on the Western Regions, 646 CE

Xiáng fú Tiānzhú zhī chēng, yìyì jiūfēn, jiù yún Juāndú, huò yuē Xiándòu, jīn cóng zhèngyīn, yí yún Yìndù. [Pinyin]

When looking closely at the names for India (in the records), one finds that there are many different versions: formerly it was called Juandu, or Xiandou; but now (we should) follow the correct pronunciation, and adopt the name Yindu.

This Tang-dynasty transcription reflected a source form of *In-du or *In-dak, although the source language is unclear. It is unlikely to be an endonym used by the Indians, who ― as Xuanzang described ― used the names of the local states. Later in the same passage, Xuanzang explained the name Yin-du as one of the many names for “Moon” (in India), evidently referring to the Sanskrit word इन्दु (indu, “Moon”). Xuanzang also explained that:

言諸群生輪迴不息……因而譬月。良以其土聖賢繼軌，導凡御物，如月照臨。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]

言诸群生轮回不息……因而譬月。良以其土圣贤继轨，导凡御物，如月照临。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

From: Xuanzang, Great Tang Records on the Western Regions, 646 CE

Yán zhū qúnshēng lúnhuí bùxī...... Yīn'ér pì yuè. Liáng yǐ qí tǔ shèngxián jì guǐ, dǎo fán yù wù, rú yuè zhàolín. [Pinyin]

The Moon was a symbolism for endless transmigrations of all beings, and […] the name for India was derived from “Moon”, since the land of India featured a succession of sages and prophets who provided guidance to the common people and things, like the moonlight.

Although now deemed etymologically unsound, this was likely suggesting that the transcription Yin-du was a phono-semantic matching, to be interpreted literally as “trace (印) + transmigration (度)”.

The source language for this borrowing is unclear. The glottal-stop initial of the first syllable in this term is unusual; it is also reflected in 印特伽 (MC ʔiɪn^H dək̚ ɡɨɑ), the Kuchean name for “India” recorded in Song Gaoseng Zhuan [988 CE]. On the basis of this, Wang et al. (2011: 8–9) proposed that Yin-du was borrowed from Tocharian B; compare Tocharian B yentuke (“Indian”), with a similar phonological shape.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): Yìndù
(Zhuyin): ㄧㄣˋ ㄉㄨˋ
(Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): Йиндў (Yindw, III-III)
Cantonese
(Guangzhou, Jyutping): jan³ dou⁶
(Taishan, Wiktionary): yin¹ u⁵
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): Yin-thu
(Meixian, Guangdong): yin⁴ tu⁴
Min Dong (BUC): Éng-dô
Min Nan
(Hokkien, POJ): Ìn-tō͘
(Teochew, Peng'im): ing³ dou⁷
Wu (Wiktionary): in du (T1)

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: Yìndù → Yìndu (toneless final syllable variant)
  - Zhuyin: ㄧㄣˋ ㄉㄨˋ → ㄧㄣˋ ˙ㄉㄨ (toneless final syllable variant)
  - Tongyong Pinyin: Yìndů
  - Wade–Giles: Yin⁴-tu⁵
  - Yale: Yìn-du
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: Yinn.duh
  - Palladius: Иньду (Inʹdu)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /in⁵¹⁻⁵³ tu⁵¹/ → /in⁵¹ d̥u¹/
- (Dungan)
  - Cyrillic and Wiktionary: Йиндў (Yindw, III-III)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /iŋ⁴⁴ tu⁴⁴/
  (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: jan³ dou⁶
  - Yale: yan douh
  - Cantonese Pinyin: jan³ dou⁶
  - Guangdong Romanization: yen³ dou⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɐn³³ tou̯²²/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: yin¹ u⁵
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /jin³³ u³²/
Hakka
- (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: Yin-thu
  - Hakka Romanization System: in tu
  - Hagfa Pinyim: yin⁴ tu⁴
  - Sinological IPA: /in⁵⁵ tʰu⁵⁵/
- (Southern Sixian, incl. Meinong)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: Yin-thu
  - Hakka Romanization System: (r)in tu
  - Hagfa Pinyim: yin⁴ tu⁴
  - Sinological IPA: /(j)in⁵⁵ tʰu⁵⁵/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: yin⁴ tu⁴
  - Sinological IPA: /in⁵³⁻⁵⁵ tʰu⁵³/
Min Dong
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: Éng-dô
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /iŋ²¹³⁻⁵³ ^(t-)nou²⁴²/
Min Nan
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ìn-tō͘
  - Tâi-lô: Ìn-tōo
  - Phofsit Daibuun: iendo
  - IPA (Xiamen): /in²¹⁻⁵³ tɔ²²/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /in⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ tɔ⁴¹/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /in²¹⁻⁵³ tɔ²²/
  - IPA (Taipei): /in¹¹⁻⁵³ tɔ³³/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /in²¹⁻⁴¹ tɔ³³/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: ing³ dou⁷
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: ìng tōu
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /iŋ²¹³⁻⁵⁵ tou¹¹/
Wu
- (Shanghainese)
  - Wiktionary: in du (T1)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɪɲ⁵⁵ d̥v̩ʷ²¹/

Middle Chinese: /ʔiɪn^H duo^H/

Rime
Character	印	度
Reading #	1/1	1/2
Initial (聲)	影 (34)	定 (7)
Final (韻)	眞 (43)	模 (23)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	I
Fanqie	於刃切	徒故切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʔiɪn^H/	/duo^H/
Pan Wuyun	/ʔin^H/	/duo^H/
Shao Rongfen	/ʔjen^H/	/do^H/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʔin^H/	/dɔ^H/
Li Rong	/ʔiĕn^H/	/do^H/
Wang Li	/ĭĕn^H/	/du^H/
Bernard Karlgren	/ʔi̯ĕn^H/	/dʱuo^H/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yìn	dù
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jan³	dou⁶

Proper noun

印度

India
印度商人 ― Yìndù shāngrén ― Indian merchants

Synonyms

印 (Yìn) (abbreviation)
天竺 (Tiānzhú) (archaic)
身毒 (Juāndú) (obsolete)
賢豆／贤豆 (Xiándòu) (obsolete)

Derived terms

Derived terms from 印度

五印度 (Wǔyìndù)
印度人 (Yìndùrén)
印度大麻草
印度支那 (Yìndù-Zhīnà)
印度教 (Yìndùjiào)
印度斯坦 (Yìndùsītǎn)
印度河 (Yìndù Hé)
印度法系
印度洋 (Yìndùyáng)
印度虎 (yìndùhǔ)
印度香米 (Yìndù xiāngmǐ)
西印度
印度共和國／印度共和国 (Yìndù gònghéguó)
印度半島／印度半岛 (Yìndù Bàndǎo)
印度哲學／印度哲学
印度學／印度学 (yìndùxué)

印度尼西亞／印度尼西亚 (Yìndùníxīyà)
印度尼西亞共和國／印度尼西亚共和国 (Yìndùníxīyà Gònghéguó)
印度尼西亞語／印度尼西亚语 (yìndùníxīyàyǔ)
印度希臘式／印度希腊式
印度廟／印度庙 (yìndùmiào)
印度橡膠樹／印度橡胶树
印度煎餅／印度煎饼 (yìndù jiānbǐng)
印度獨立運動／印度独立运动
印度綢／印度绸
印度食魚鱷／印度食鱼鳄 (yìndù shíyú'è)
印度鱷／印度鳄 (yìndù'è)
印度黃檀／印度黄檀 (Yìndù huángtán)
東印度／东印度 (Dōngyìndù)
東印度群島／东印度群岛
法屬印度支那／法属印度支那 (Fǎshǔ Yìndùzhīnà)
西印度群島／西印度群岛 (Xī Yìndù Qúndǎo)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (印度):

→ Japanese: 印度(インド) (Indo)
→ Korean: 인도(印度) (Indo)
→ Vietnamese: Ấn Độ (印度)

Japanese

Kanji in this term
印	度
いん Grade: 4 (ateji)	ど Grade: 3 (ateji)
goon

Etymology

The kanji are ateji (当て字) from Middle Chinese 印度 (MC ʔiɪn^H duo^H).

Proper noun

印(イン)度(ド) • (Indo)

Dated spelling of インド. (abbr. 印 (In))

Korean

Hanja in this term
印	度

Proper noun

印度 • (Indo) (hangeul 인도)

Hanja form^? of 인도 (“India”).

Vietnamese

Hán tự in this term
印	度

Proper noun

印度

chữ Hán form of Ấn Độ (“India”).