Etymograph

English

Sinese

Sinese comes from German Sinese ‘a Chinese person’, from Sina ‘China’, and ultimately from Ancient Greek Σῖναι.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEΣῖναι
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CESinae‘the Southern Chinese, Southern China’
  3. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500Sina‘China’
  4. Germanc. 1650–presentsame form‘China’
  5. German, derivedc. 1650–presentSinese‘a Chinese person’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1878same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history not traced here.

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEΣῖναι
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CESinae‘the Southern Chinese, Southern China’
  3. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500Sina‘China’
  4. Germanc. 1650–presentsame form‘China’
  5. German, derivedc. 1650–presentSinese‘a Chinese person’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1878same form

Earliest quotation: 1878, Thomas Rawson Birks, Commentary on the Book of Isaiah: “The name Θῖναι, Strabo, Σῖναι, Ptol., Τζίνιτζα, Kosmas, did…”

Formed from Sino- + -ese

Ancient Greek Σῖναι

Medieval Latin Sina ‘China’

English Sino-

Every English word from Ancient Greek Σῖναι

Today it means

noun The Chinese people or a Chinese person, (particularly) with reference to the historical southern Chinese known to the Greeks and Romans as the Sinae.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Ancient Greek Σῖναι / Sinese

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