Huihui
/ˈhweɪ ˌhweɪ/noun
A historical Chinese term for Muslims, especially Muslim communities of Central Asian origin.
Did you know?European travelers encountered forms of Huihui in medieval and early modern accounts of China, where it could refer broadly to Muslim peoples rather than one single ethnicity.
Etymological Timeline
8th–9th Century
Old Chinese
回鶻 / 回紇
“Names used in Chinese sources for the Uyghurs, a powerful Central Asian Turkic people.”
Song–Yuan Period
Chinese
回回
“A reduplicated form, pronounced approximately Huíhuí, used increasingly for Muslims and Muslim-associated peoples.”
13th–14th Century
Middle Chinese
Huihui
“A designation applied in the Mongol-era world to Muslims from Central Asia, Persia, and other regions.”
16th–17th Century
European accounts
Hoihoui / Hoi-hoi
“Transliterated forms appearing in European descriptions of Muslim communities in China.”
Modern English
English
Huihui
“A historical or ethnographic term for Chinese-designated Muslim peoples, now largely replaced by more specific names.”