Guangnan
/kwɑːŋˈnɑːn/noun
Guangnan is a county and historical regional name in southeastern Yunnan, China.
Did you know?Guangnan was historically known as Guangnan Fu, a Ming- and Qing-era administrative division, showing how the name functioned as an instrument of imperial geography rather than occult symbolism.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Old Chinese
南 (*nˤem)
“South; the directional element later pronounced nán in Mandarin.”
Ancient Chinese
Old Chinese
廣 (*kʷˤaŋʔ)
“Broad, extensive, or spacious; the source of modern guǎng.”
Medieval Chinese
Middle Chinese
廣南
“Broad or extensive south; a geographical designation formed from the two directional and descriptive elements.”
14th Century
Chinese
廣南府 (Guǎngnán Fǔ)
“Guangnan Prefecture, an imperial administrative unit established in the southwest during the Ming period.”
Modern Chinese
Mandarin
廣南 / 广南 (Guǎngnán)
“Guangnan, the name retained by Guangnan County in Yunnan.”
Modern English
English
Guangnan
“The standard English romanization of the Chinese place name.”