Zhou
/dʒoʊ/noun
A Chinese dynasty that ruled much of China from about 1046 to 256 BCE, or a historical Chinese administrative division.
Did you know?The Zhou dynasty popularized the Mandate of Heaven, a sacred-political doctrine asserting that heaven could withdraw legitimacy from a corrupt ruler and transfer it to another.
Etymological Timeline
Late 2nd millennium BCE
Old Chinese
周
“The Chinese character used for the Zhou name; its original naming motivation is uncertain.”
c. 1046 BCE
Chinese
周
“The Zhou conquest of the Shang establishes the Zhou royal house in Chinese history.”
6th–10th Century
Middle Chinese
周
“Pronounced approximately tsyu in Middle Chinese, continuing the dynasty name and the character’s other meanings, including ‘cycle’ or ‘周遍, encompassing.’”
Modern period
Mandarin
Zhōu
“The pinyin form for 周, used for the dynasty, the surname, and certain historical administrative terms.”
19th–20th Century
English
Zhou
“An established English transliteration and proper name for the Chinese dynasty, surname, and historical administrative division.”
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