Zhuang
/ˈdʒwɑːŋ/noun
A member of an ethnic group, or the Tai language spoken chiefly in Guangxi, China.
Did you know?The Zhuang are China’s largest officially recognized ethnic minority, yet many Zhuang speakers traditionally identify themselves with names such as Bouxcuengh rather than the Chinese label Zhuang.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient period
Kra-Dai
*Cɯːŋ / *Cuengh
“A reconstructed ancestral form associated with the self-designation of Zhuang-related peoples; the exact reconstruction and meaning remain debated.”
Medieval period
Chinese
獞 / 僮
“Historical Chinese written forms used for peoples in southern China, including ancestors of communities now identified as Zhuang; some forms later acquired derogatory associations.”
19th Century
Chinese
壯族
“A Chinese ethnonym meaning the Zhuang people; 壯 literally has senses such as “strong” or “robust,” though this character-based meaning does not securely explain the original ethnonym.”
20th Century
English
Chuang
“An older English romanization of the Chinese name, reflecting earlier Wade–Giles-style spelling conventions.”
Modern English
English
Zhuang
“The standard modern English spelling for the ethnic group and its language, based on contemporary Chinese romanization.”