Meihuaquan
/ˌmeɪˌhwɑːˈtʃwɑːn/noun
A traditional Chinese martial art whose name is commonly translated as Plum Blossom Fist.
Did you know?Meihuaquan practice is traditionally associated with five-point plum-blossom formations, while the art’s networks later became entangled with anti-Qing and Boxer-era movements.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese
Old Chinese
梅花拳
“The characters literally combine plum, flower, and fist; the exact martial-art name is much later than these individual words.”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
梅 /məi/; 花 /xwae/; 拳 /ɡjwon/
“The historical pronunciations of the three characters that form the name.”
19th Century
Mandarin
梅花拳 (méihuāquán)
“A named northern Chinese martial art, literally “plum-blossom fist.””
19th–20th Century
English
Meihuaquan
“A romanized Chinese name used in English-language writing about Chinese martial arts.”
Modern English
English
Meihuaquan
“A traditional Chinese martial art also rendered as Meihua Quan or Meihuazhuang.”
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