Chaoshan
/ˌtʃaʊˈʃæn/noun
A cultural and geographic region of eastern Guangdong, China, centered historically on Chaozhou and Shantou.
Did you know?The English name “Teochew” comes through the local pronunciation of Chaozhou, showing how one Chinese place-name became a global cultural identity through migration.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese
Old Chinese
潮
“A tide or rising seawater; the character later became associated with Chaozhou.”
Old Chinese
Old Chinese
汕
“A place-name element associated with Shantou; the character can refer to a coastal or tidal setting.”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
潮州 / 汕頭
“The historical names Chaozhou and Shantou, the two major regional reference points.”
19th Century
English
Teochew / Swatow
“English forms spread through southern Chinese dialect pronunciation and international trade; Teochew refers to the Chaozhou speech and cultural community, while Swatow is an older form of Shantou.”
20th Century
Mandarin Chinese
潮汕 (Cháoshān)
“A modern regional name combining Chaozhou-related 潮 with Shantou-related 汕.”
Modern English
English
Chaoshan
“The established English romanization for the region and its associated culture, language varieties, cuisine, and diaspora.”