Swatow
/ˈswɑːtaʊ/noun
A historical English name for Shantou, a port city in Guangdong, China, and for goods associated with the city.
Did you know?Swatow is an English rendering of a southern Chinese pronunciation of 汕頭, while Mandarin uses the name Shantou for the same city.
Etymological Timeline
Medieval Chinese
Chinese
汕頭
“A place-name written with characters meaning “sand” and “head” or “headland””
Southern Min / Teochew
Teochew
Sua-thâu
“The local pronunciation of 汕頭”
19th Century
English
Swatow
“An English transcription of the local Chinese name”
Late 19th–20th Century
English
Swatow
“The English name of the treaty port and city now generally called Shantou”
Modern English
English
Swatow
“A historical or alternative English name, also used in expressions such as Swatow lace”