震旦

Chinese

	phonetic
trad. (震旦)	震	旦
simp. ^#(震旦)	震	旦
alternative forms	震丹真丹真旦振旦神丹

Etymology

First attested in the 3^rd–4^th centuries CE.

Borrowed from Sanskrit चीनस्थान (cīnasthāna), or a name etymologically related; compare Sogdian [script needed] (cynstʾn /*čīnastan/), Persian ‎, Armenian Չինաստան (Čʿinastan), Ancient Greek Τζίνιστα (Tzínista).

Folk etymology interprets the this word orthographically, as a compound of 震 (zhèn, “one of the Eight Trigrams; the East”) + 旦 (dàn, “dawn; the direction of sunrise”), in reference to China's eastward position relative to India. For example, the Buddhist reference work Collection of Meanings and Terms in Translation (翻譯名義集) [12th century CE] has the following passage on the origin of this term:

東方屬震，是日出之方，故云震旦。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

东方属震，是日出之方，故云震旦。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

Dōngfāng shǔ zhèn, shì rìchū zhī fāng, gù yún Zhèndàn. [Pinyin]

The direction of east belongs to the trigram of Zhèn, and is the direction of sunrise, thus (China) is called Zhèndàn.

More discussion on the etymology of Zhèndàn can be found in Notes on Marco Polo (Vol. 1).

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): Zhèndàn
(Zhuyin): ㄓㄣˋ ㄉㄢˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): zan³ daan³

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)
  - Hanyu Pinyin: Zhèndàn
  - Zhuyin: ㄓㄣˋ ㄉㄢˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: Jhèndàn
  - Wade–Giles: Chên⁴-tan⁴
  - Yale: Jèn-dàn
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: Jenndann
  - Palladius: Чжэньдань (Čžɛnʹdanʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂən⁵¹⁻⁵³ tän⁵¹/
  - Homophones:
    [Show/Hide]
    ^edit
    ^edit
    震旦
    震蛋
    振旦
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: zan³ daan³
  - Yale: jan daan
  - Cantonese Pinyin: dzan³ daan³
  - Guangdong Romanization: zen³ dan³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sɐn³³ taːn³³/

Middle Chinese: /t͡ɕiɪn^H tɑn^H/

Rime
Character	震	旦
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	章 (23)	端 (5)
Final (韻)	眞 (43)	寒 (61)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	I
Fanqie	章刃切	得按切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/t͡ɕiɪn^H/	/tɑn^H/
Pan Wuyun	/t͡ɕin^H/	/tɑn^H/
Shao Rongfen	/t͡ɕjen^H/	/tɑn^H/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/cin^H/	/tan^H/
Li Rong	/t͡ɕiĕn^H/	/tɑn^H/
Wang Li	/t͡ɕĭĕn^H/	/tɑn^H/
Bernard Karlgren	/t͡ɕi̯ĕn^H/	/tɑn^H/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	zhèn	dàn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	zan³	daan³

Proper noun

震旦

(archaic, religion) The name for China in ancient Indian records and some Chinese Buddhist texts.

Synonyms

edit

Synonyms of 震旦

中 (Zhōng) (abbreviation)
中原 (Zhōngyuán)
九州 (Jiǔzhōu)
唐山 (Tángshān)
域中 (yùzhōng) (literary, figurative)
天下 (tiānxià) (lofty)
天朝 (Tiāncháo) (historical or Internet slang)
支那 (Zhīnà) (obsolete, now usually derogatory or offensive)
桃花石 (Táohuāshí) (obsolete)
猜拿 (transliteration of English China)
神州 (Shénzhōu) (literary)
脂那 (Zhīnà) (obsolete)

至那 (Zhìnà) (obsolete)
震旦 (Zhèndàn) (archaic)
中國／中国 (Zhōngguó)
中華／中华 (Zhōnghuá)
種花家／种花家 (Zhònghuājiā) (slang, humorous)
華／华 (Huá) (abbreviation)
華夏／华夏 (Huáxià)
諸夏／诸夏 (Zhūxià)
諸華／诸华 (Zhūhuá)
赤縣／赤县 (Chìxiàn) (literary)
赤縣神州／赤县神州 (Chìxiàn Shénzhōu) (literary)

Related terms

支那 (Zhīnà)

References

Ding, Fubao (丁福保) (1922), “支那” in 佛學大辭典／佛学大辞典 [A Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms].