Qinghai
/tʃɪŋˈhaɪ/noun
Qinghai is a province of northwestern China, named after Qinghai Lake.
Did you know?Qinghai Lake was historically known in Mongolian as Kokonor, meaning “Blue Lake,” while the Chinese name Qinghai preserves the same striking image.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese, before 200 CE
Old Chinese
青海
“A compound of 青, “blue-green,” and 海, “sea” or “large body of water.””
Medieval China
Chinese
青海
“A name associated with the large inland lake later called Qinghai Lake.”
13th–14th Century
Mongolian/Chinese usage
Köke Naγur / 青海
“The lake was known in Mongolian as “Blue Lake,” while Chinese usage retained the sense “Blue Sea.””
1724
Qing-era Chinese
青海
“The name became associated with the Qing imperial administrative territory in the region.”
1928
Republican Chinese
青海省
“Qinghai Province, formally established as a Chinese province.”
Modern English
English
Qinghai
“The standard English transliteration of the Chinese provincial name.”