Zhongshan
/ˈdʒʊŋˌʃɑːn/noun
A Chinese place name meaning a central or middle mountain, also used for Sun Yat-sen and places named in his honor.
Did you know?Zhongshan was Sun Yat-sen’s courtesy name, so the name shifted from an ancient geographic phrase into a powerful symbol of revolution and national identity.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese period
Old Chinese
中山
“A central or middle mountain; the characters literally mean “middle” and “mountain.””
Warring States period, 5th–3rd century BCE
Classical Chinese
中山
“The name of the ancient state of Zhongshan in northern China.”
19th Century
Chinese
中山
“Adopted as the courtesy name of Sun Yat-sen, written Sun Zhongshan in Mandarin romanization.”
1920s
English
Zhongshan
“A romanized form used internationally for Sun Yat-sen’s name and for places associated with him.”
Modern English
English
Zhongshan
“A proper name for several Chinese locations, especially Zhongshan City in Guangdong, named in honor of Sun Yat-sen.”