Fukien
/ˌfuːˈkiːən/noun
An older English and Wade–Giles romanization of Fujian, a province on China’s southeastern coast.
Did you know?Fukien is the older English spelling of Fujian, while Hokkien is another English form derived from the same region’s name in southern Chinese pronunciation.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Chinese
福建
“The Chinese characters meaning approximately “blessed establishment” or “fortunate founding.””
10th Century
Middle Chinese
福州路 / 福建路
“Administrative names associated with the Fujian region; 福 refers to blessing or good fortune, while 建 refers to establishing or building.”
16th–17th Century
Southern Min
Hok-kian
“A southern Chinese pronunciation of 福建, literally corresponding to “Fujian.””
19th Century
English/Wade–Giles
Fukien
“An English romanization used widely before pinyin became standard.”
Modern English
English
Fukien
“A historical or variant spelling of Fujian, still encountered in older texts and names such as Fukien cuisine.”