Xiamen
/ɕjâ.mə̌n/noun
A coastal city and port in Fujian Province, southeastern China, formerly widely known in English as Amoy.
Did you know?European traders historically called Xiamen “Amoy,” a name derived from a local Southern Min pronunciation of 厦门 rather than from Mandarin.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Chinese
廈
“A large or lofty building; the character later used in the place name.”
Ancient Chinese
Chinese
門
“A gate, doorway, or entrance.”
Ming Dynasty
Southern Min
Ē-mn̂g
“Local Southern Min pronunciation of 厦门, the name of the island and settlement.”
16th–17th Century
Portuguese/Dutch records
Amoy
“An early European rendering of the local Southern Min name.”
19th Century
English
Amoy
“The established English name for the port, especially in trade and treaty-port records.”
20th Century–Present
Mandarin/English
Xiàmén / Xiamen
“The modern Mandarin-based romanization and internationally standard English form.”