Ming Dynasty
/ˌmɪŋ ˈdaɪnəsti/noun
The Chinese imperial dynasty that ruled China from 1368 to 1644.
Did you know?The dynasty’s name, 明 (Míng), means “bright” or “shining,” imagery that resonated with Chinese political traditions linking righteous rule to heavenly approval.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Classical Chinese
明 (míng)
“Bright, shining, clear, or enlightened”
4th Century BCE onward
Classical Chinese
王朝 (wángcháo)
“Dynasty; a hereditary line of rulers”
1368
Chinese
明朝 (Míng cháo)
“The Ming dynasty, founded by Zhu Yuanzhang after the fall of the Yuan dynasty”
Ancient Greek
Greek
dynasteía (δυναστεία)
“Rule, dominion, or a ruling power”
Late Antiquity
Latin
dynastia
“A line of rulers or succession of sovereigns”
14th Century
Old French
dynastie
“A succession of hereditary rulers”
Modern English
English
Ming dynasty
“The Chinese imperial dynasty ruling from 1368 to 1644”