The word "China" is derived from the
Persian word
Chin (چین), which in turn derives from the
Sanskrit word
Cīna (चीन).
[29] It is first recorded in 1516 in the journal of the Portuguese explorer
Duarte Barbosa. The journal was translated and published in England in 1555.
[31] The traditional theory, proposed in the 17th century by
Martino Martini, is that
Cīna is derived from "
Qin" (
秦), the westernmost of the Chinese kingdoms during the
Zhou Dynasty. However, the word was used in early
Hindu scripture, including the
Mahābhārata (5th century BCE) and the
Laws of Manu (2nd century BCE).
The official name of the modern country is the People's Republic of China (
Chinese: 中华人民共和国;
pinyin:
Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó). The common Chinese names for the country are
Zhōngguó (
Chinese:
中国, from
zhōng, "central" or "middle", and
guó, "state" or "states," and in modern times, "nation") and
Zhōnghuá (Chinese:
中华), although the country's official name has been changed numerous times by successive
dynasties and modern governments. The term
Zhōngguó appeared in various ancient texts, such as the
Classic of History of the 6th century BCE,
[j] and in pre-imperial times it was often used as a cultural concept to distinguish the
Huaxia tribes from perceived "barbarians". The term, which can be either singular or plural, referred to the group of states or provinces in the
central plain, but was not used as a name for the country as a whole until the nineteenth century. The Chinese were not unique in regarding their country as "central", with other civilizations having the same view of themselves..
