Henan
/həˈnæn/noun
Henan is a province of central China, traditionally named for its position south of the Yellow River.
Did you know?In Chinese place-name tradition, directional names such as Henan, Hebei, Hunan, and Hubei encode a location relative to a major river or lake.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese, 1st millennium BCE
Old Chinese
河南
“South of the river; 河 referred to a major river, especially the Yellow River, and 南 meant south.”
Han Dynasty, 206 BCE–220 CE
Classical Chinese
河南
“A regional name for territory south of the Yellow River, including areas associated with the ancient commandery of Henan.”
Middle Chinese, c. 600–900 CE
Middle Chinese
河南
“A geographic designation pronounced approximately ha-nam, retaining the meaning “south of the river.””
17th century
Portuguese and European usage
Honan
“An older European romanization of the Chinese provincial name.”
Modern English
English
Henan
“The standard modern romanization of 河南, a province in central China.”