Cochinchina
/ˌkɒtʃɪnˈtʃaɪnə/noun
A historical name for southern Vietnam, especially the region governed by France from the nineteenth century until 1949.
Did you know?The name was not a traditional Vietnamese name: European mapmakers popularized “Cochin-China,” likely to distinguish this Asian region from Cochin in India while associating it with China.
Etymological Timeline
16th Century
Portuguese
Cochinchina
“A European name used for the Vietnamese territories south of the Đại Việt heartland; its exact formation is disputed.”
16th–17th Century
Vietnamese
Đàng Trong
““Inner region” or “southern region,” the Vietnamese designation for the Nguyễn-ruled southern territories.”
17th Century
European usage
Cochin-China
“A compound geographical label associating the region with Cochin in India and China; the precise route of transmission remains uncertain.”
18th Century
English
Cochin-China
“A standard English term for southern Vietnam, contrasting with Tonkin in the north.”
19th Century
French
Cochinchine
“The French colonial name for the southern Vietnamese colony centered on Saigon.”
Modern English
English
Cochinchina
“A historical term referring chiefly to southern Vietnam and the former French colony.”