Nanling
/ˈnæn.lɪŋ/noun
The Nanling is a mountain range in southern China, traditionally marking a major geographic boundary between central and southern regions.
Did you know?In Chinese geography, the Nanling functioned historically as a powerful climatic, cultural, and political boundary, separating the Yangtze basin from Lingnan—the region south of the mountains.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese
Old Chinese
南 *nˤem
“south”
Old Chinese
Old Chinese
嶺 *reŋʔ
“mountain ridge or mountain range”
Medieval China
Middle Chinese
南嶺 *nom-ljeŋX
“southern mountain range”
Modern Chinese
Mandarin
南岭 nánlǐng
“the Nanling, literally the southern mountain range”
20th Century
English
Nanling
“The established English name for the mountain range in southern China”