Yangzhou
/jɑ̌ŋ tʂóʊ/noun
A historic city in Jiangsu Province, China, located near the junction of the Yangtze River and the Grand Canal.
Did you know?Yangzhou appears among the Nine Provinces in the ancient Yu Gong tradition, although that early Yangzhou was a vast regional territory rather than the modern city alone.
Etymological Timeline
Late 1st millennium BCE
Old Chinese
揚州 (*[ɢ]aŋ tju)
“An early form associated with the regional name Yangzhou; exact Old Chinese pronunciation is reconstructed and uncertain.”
c. 4th–3rd century BCE
Classical Chinese
揚州
“Yangzhou, one of the Nine Provinces described in the Yu Gong chapter of the Shu Jing tradition.”
2nd century BCE
Han Chinese
揚州刺史部
“The Yangzhou Inspectorate, a major administrative region established under the Han dynasty.”
6th century CE
Middle Chinese
揚州 /jang tɕɨu/
“The established name of the regional administrative area; its pronunciation developed through Middle Chinese sound changes.”
7th–10th centuries
Sui–Tang Chinese
揚州
“A major canal, commercial, and cultural center, especially important after the Grand Canal linked it with northern China.”
Modern English
English
Yangzhou
“The standard English romanization of 扬州, using Mandarin pinyin; the city remains known for its gardens, canal history, and cuisine.”