Ruan Xian
/ɻwǎn ɕjɛ́n/noun
Ruan Xian is a Chinese musician of the Three Kingdoms period whose name became associated with a long-necked plucked string instrument.
Did you know?Ruan Xian was one of the legendary Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, a group remembered for unconventional living, poetry, music, and philosophical freedom.
Etymological Timeline
3rd Century CE
Chinese
阮咸
“Ruan Xian, the personal name of a musician associated with the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove”
3rd Century CE
Chinese
阮咸
“A musician celebrated in historical tradition for playing string instruments”
Middle Ages
Chinese
阮咸
“The name became associated with a plucked lute-like instrument modeled in his honor”
20th Century
Wade–Giles/Pinyin
Juan Hsien / Ruan Xian
“Romanized forms of the musician’s name”
Modern English
English
ruan xian
“An English transliteration used for the Chinese musician and the instrument named after him”