Annam
/ˈæn.æm/noun
A historical name for northern and central Vietnam, especially under Chinese and later French usage.
Did you know?The name Annam derives from a Chinese administrative designation established during the Tang period, when imperial language framed the region as a southern land brought under control.
Etymological Timeline
7th Century
Middle Chinese
安南 (Ānnán)
“Pacified South; a Chinese administrative name for the region”
7th–10th Centuries
Classical Chinese
安南都護府 (Ānnán Dūhùfǔ)
“Protectorate-General of Annam, a Tang imperial administrative division”
Medieval Period
Vietnamese
An Nam
“The Chinese-derived name used for the Vietnamese region”
16th Century
Latin
Annam
“A name for the Vietnamese kingdom or region in European writings”
17th–19th Centuries
European usage
Annam
“A conventional Western name for central and northern Vietnam”
Modern English
English
Annam
“A historical or geographic name, now largely obsolete except in historical contexts”