Nantong
/nænˈtʊŋ/noun
A city in Jiangsu Province, China, located on the northern bank of the Yangtze River near its estuary.
Did you know?Nantong was historically known as Tongzhou, meaning “Prefecture of Passage,” and was renamed Nantong in 1912 to distinguish it from another Tongzhou near Beijing.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese, before 200 CE
Old Chinese
南通
“A compound of 南, “south,” and 通, “to pass through” or “to connect.””
Middle Chinese, c. 600–900 CE
Middle Chinese
南通
“Pronounced approximately *nəm thung; the written compound retained the sense “southern passage” or “southern connection.””
10th Century
Chinese
通州
“The area was officially associated with Tongzhou, literally “Prefecture of Passage,” reflecting its strategic waterways and access to the Yangtze.”
1912
Modern Chinese
南通
“The city was renamed Nantong, “Southern Passage,” to distinguish it from Tongzhou near Beijing.”
Modern English
English
Nantong
“The established English name for the Chinese city in Jiangsu Province.”