Hengshan
/ˈhʌŋ.ʃæn/noun
Hengshan is the English-pinyin name of several mountains in China, especially the sacred Mount Heng in Hunan and the northern Heng Mountain in Shanxi.
Did you know?Mount Heng in Hunan is one of China’s Five Great Mountains, whose sacred geography was historically linked with imperial rituals, Taoist practice, and harmony between heaven and earth.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese
Old Chinese
山 (*sˤar)
“Mountain; the ancient Chinese morpheme later pronounced shān.”
Old Chinese
Old Chinese
衡 (*ɡˤraŋ)
“A crossbeam, balance, or measuring device; later associated with the idea of equilibrium.”
Classical Chinese
Classical Chinese
衡山
“Héngshān, literally “Balance/衡 Mountain,” a mountain name used for sacred peaks in China.”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
Hengshan
“The pronunciation developed toward Héngshān, with 衡 meaning “balance” and 山 meaning “mountain.””
20th Century
Modern Standard Chinese
Héngshān (衡山)
“The pinyin romanization for Mount Heng, including the famous southern peak in Hunan and the northern mountain in Shanxi.”
Modern English
English
Hengshan
“An English geographic name transliterated from Mandarin Chinese.”
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