Meihua
/ˌmeɪˈhwɑː/noun
A Chinese term meaning plum blossom, especially the flowering plum associated with endurance and winter.
Did you know?In Chinese symbolism, the plum blossom is one of the “Four Gentlemen” of art and represents resilience because it flowers before spring, often through snow and frost.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese, c. 1st millennium BCE
Old Chinese
梅
“Plum tree or its fruit; the character underlying mei”
Classical Chinese
Classical Chinese
花
“Flower or blossom; the character underlying hua”
Medieval Chinese
Middle Chinese
梅花
“Plum blossom; a compound of “plum” and “flower””
Early Modern Chinese
Chinese
梅花
“Plum blossom, with established literary and artistic symbolism”
20th Century
Mandarin Chinese
méihuā
“The modern Mandarin pronunciation of 梅花”
Modern English
English loanword
meihua
“A transliterated Chinese term for the plum blossom, also used in names of Chinese artistic, martial, and symbolic traditions”
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