Xiang River
/ˈʃjɑːŋ ˈrɪvər/noun
A major river in Hunan Province, China, and a tributary of the Yangtze River.
Did you know?The Xiang River is traditionally associated with the legendary Xiang goddesses, believed in Chinese folklore to be the transformed spirits of Emperor Shun’s wives.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Classical Chinese
湘
“The written name of the Xiang River; the character is a hydronym whose ultimate origin is uncertain.”
Early Imperial China
Chinese
湘水
““Xiang water,” an early descriptive form referring to the river.”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
湘
“The river name, conventionally reconstructed approximately as *sjang.”
19th Century
English
Siang River
“An older English romanization based on historical Chinese pronunciation and spelling conventions.”
Modern English
English
Xiang River
“The standard modern English name for the river, using pinyin romanization.”