Qinling
/ˈtʃɪn.lɪŋ/noun
A major mountain range in central China that separates the Yellow River and Yangtze River basins.
Did you know?The Qinling Mountains take their name from Qin, the ancient state and dynasty whose name was transmitted westward through Central Asian languages and ultimately became “China.”
Etymological Timeline
Ancient China
Old Chinese
秦 (Qín)
“The name of the ancient Qin state in western China; its deeper pre-Chinese origin remains uncertain.”
221–206 BCE
Chinese
秦
“The Qin dynasty, which unified China under Qin Shi Huang.”
1st–7th centuries CE
Sanskrit
Cīna
“A foreign name for China, probably transmitted through Central Asian contacts from Qin.”
1st–2nd centuries CE
Greek
Sinaí
“A geographical name for China derived from the same eastern ethnonym.”
13th Century
Middle English
Chine
“China; the form entered English through Old French and related European forms.”
Modern English
English
Qinling
“The Qin Mountains, from Chinese 秦岭, literally “Qin ridge” or “Qin mountain range.””