Pinghu
/pʰǐŋ xǔ/noun
Pinghu is a city and district in Zhejiang Province, China.
Did you know?Pinghu’s name uses the Chinese characters 平湖, combining 平 (“level” or “flat”) with 湖 (“lake”), rather than hiding a supernatural or astrological meaning.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese
Old Chinese
平湖
“A compound meaning “level lake” or “flat lake”; the exact ancient pronunciation is reconstructed rather than directly recorded.”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
平湖
“The same written compound, pronounced with historically different sounds from modern Mandarin.”
1430
Ming Chinese
平湖
“Pinghu County was established during the Ming dynasty, preserving the landscape-based name.”
20th Century
Mandarin
Pínghú
“The modern Mandarin pronunciation of the place-name, with 平 meaning “level” and 湖 meaning “lake.””
Modern English
English
Pinghu
“The established Romanized English form for the Chinese city and district.”