Nanhai
/ˌnænˈhaɪ/ (Mandarin: /nan˧˥ xai˩˦/)noun
Nanhai is the pinyin name for several Chinese geographic entities, most notably the Nanhai District of Foshan and the South China Sea.
Did you know?In early Chinese cosmology, Nanhai was counted among the “Four Seas” surrounding the civilized world, making it both a geographic label and a symbolic edge of existence.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese, before 200 BCE
Old Chinese
南海
“The southern sea; 南 meant “south” and 海 meant “sea.””
3rd Century BCE
Chinese
Nanhai Commandery
“A Qin administrative region in southern China, established during the empire’s expansion southward.”
Han Dynasty, 2nd Century BCE–2nd Century CE
Classical Chinese
南海
“Nanhai, the southern sea, used both as a geographic designation and as one of the Four Seas of traditional cosmology.”
Middle Chinese, c. 600 CE
Middle Chinese
南海
“Pronounced approximately nan hɑ̌i; the written compound retained the meaning “southern sea.””
20th Century
Mandarin Chinese
Nánhǎi
“Modern Mandarin pronunciation of 南海, used for places including Nanhai District in Guangdong.”
Modern English
English
Nanhai
“An English geographic proper name transliterated from Mandarin pinyin, also used in references to the South China Sea.”