Sinitic
/sɪˈnɪtɪk/noun
Relating to the Chinese languages or to the Sinitic branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family.
Did you know?Sinitic ultimately belongs to the same international naming tradition as China, Chinese, and Sino-, all linked to forms associated with the Qin dynasty.
Etymological Timeline
3rd century BCE
Ancient Chinese
秦 (Qín)
“The name of the Qin state and dynasty, traditionally associated with the distant origin of the names China and Sino-.”
Antiquity
Sanskrit
Cīna
“A name used for China or Chinese people in South Asian texts; its precise transmission history is debated.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
Σίναι (Sínai)
“A Greek name for the Chinese, probably transmitted through trade and intercultural contact.”
Classical Latin
Latin
Sinae / Sinicus
“Sinae meant the Chinese people or China; Sinicus meant Chinese or relating to China.”
19th Century
English
Sinitic
“An English scholarly adjective formed from Latin Sinicus, used especially in linguistic classification.”
Modern English
English
Sinitic
“Relating to the Chinese languages, including Mandarin, Cantonese, and other varieties traditionally grouped within Sinitic.”