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china

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: China and čhína

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From clippings of attributive use of China, q.v., the country in East Asia. In reference to porcelain and porcelain objects, via clipping of chinaware and via this sense of Persian چین (čini) in Persia and India, which influenced the pronunciation (see below). In reference to medicine, via clipping of China root. In reference to flowers, via clipping of China rose. In reference to tea, via clipping of China tea. In Cockney slang, a clipping of china plate as a rhyme of mate (“friend”). In reference to drum cymbals, a clipping of China cymbal and as a genericization of a kind of Zildjian-brand cymbal.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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china (countable and uncountable, plural chinas)

  1. (uncountable) Synonym of porcelain, a hard white translucent ceramic made from kaolin, now (chiefly US) sometimes distinguished in reference to tableware as fine or good china.
    It's a china doll.
  2. (uncountable) Chinaware: porcelain tableware.
    • 1634, Thomas Herbert, A Relation of Some Yeares Trauaile, Begunne Anno 1626. into Afrique and the Greater Asia, page 41:
      They sell Callicoes, Cheney Sattin, Cheney ware.
    • 1653, Henry Cogan translating Fernão Mendes Pinto as The Voyages and Adventures of Fernand Mendez Pinto, p. 206:
      ...a Present of certain very rich Pieces of China.
    He set the table with china, cloth napkins, and crystal stemware.
    The traditional 20th anniversary gift is china.
  3. (uncountable, chiefly US, dated) Cheaper and lower-quality ceramic and ceramic tableware, distinguished from porcelain.
    • 1921 May 11, “Edison Questions Stir Up a Storm”, in New York Times:
      What is porcelain? A fine earthenware differing from china in being harder, whiter, harder to fuse and more translucent than ordinary pottery.
  4. (uncountable) Synonym of China root, the root of Smilax china (particularly) as a medicine.
    • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition II, section 5, member 1, subsection v:
      China, saith Manardus, makes a good colour in the face, takes away melancholy, and all infirmities proceeding from cold […].
  5. (uncountable, obsolete) Synonym of cheyney: worsted or woolen stuff.
    • 1790, Alexander Wilson, Poems, page 55:
      ...And then the last boon I'll implore,
      Is to bless us with China so tight...
  6. (countable) Synonym of China rose, in its various senses.
    • 1844, Jane Loudon, The Ladies' Companion to the Flower Garden, 3rd edition, page 344:
      Rosa indica (the common China); Rosa semperflorens (the monthly China).
  8. (countable, Cockney rhyming slang, Australia, South Africa) Synonym of mate (rhyme of china-plate).
    All right, me old china?
    • 1880, Daniel William Barrett, Life and Work among the Navvies, 2nd edition, page 41:
      ‘Now, then, my china-plate...’ This is essentially a brick~layer's phrase. If for ‘china-plate’ you substitute ‘mate’, […] the puzzle is revealed.
    • 1925, Edward Fraser et al., Soldier and Sailor Words and Phrases, page 53:
      China, or Old China: chum.
  9. (uncountable, dated) Tea from China, (particularly) varieties cured by smoking or opposed to Indian cultivars.
    • 1907, Yesterday's Shopping, page 1:
      Tea... Finest China, Plain (Moning).
  10. (countable, games, chiefly US, obsolete) A glazed china marble.
    • 1932 March, Dan Beard, “New-Fashioned Kites and Old-Fashioned Marbles”, in Boys' Life, page 27:
      The marbles, in those days, had their primitive names. The unglazed china ones were called plasters because they looked like plaster; the glazed china marbles were called chinas. I remember how charming were the partly colored lines which encircled them.
  11. (countable, music) A kind of drum cymbal approximating a Chinese style of cymbal, but usually with Turkish influences.
    • 2010, Carmine Appice, Drums for Everyone, page 78:
      China cymbals are a type of short sound cymbal. [Brand X] makes chinas with really short sounds.

Derived terms

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Translations

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References

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Anagrams

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Asturian

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Adjective

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china

  1. feminine singular of chinu

French

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Verb

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china

  1. third-person singular past historic of chiner

Anagrams

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Italian

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈki.na/
  • Rhymes: -ina
  • Hyphenation: chì‧na

Etymology 1

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See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Adjective

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china f sg

  1. feminine singular of chino

Etymology 2

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Deverbal from chinare +‎ -a.

Noun

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china f (plural chine)

  1. slope, decline, descent
    Synonyms: pendio, declivio, discesa
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Etymology 3

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Borrowed from Spanish quina, quinaquina, from Quechua.

Noun

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china f (plural chine)

  1. cinchona (tree)
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Etymology 4

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From Portuguese China, namely "ink of China".

Noun

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china f (plural chine)

  1. Indian ink

Etymology 5

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See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

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china

  1. inflection of chinare:
    1. third-person singular present indicative
    2. second-person singular imperative

Japanese

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Romanization

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china

  1. Rōmaji transcription of ちな

Kalasha

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Adjective

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china

  1. Alternative spelling of čhína

Macanese

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Noun

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china (plural china-china)

  1. a Chinese person, especially from mainland China
  2. (collective) the Chinese
    China tâ dismanchâ baraca
    The Chinese are taking down the scaffolding

Synonyms

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Adjective

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china

  1. Chinese (from or relating to China)

Derived terms

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References

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Portuguese

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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Borrowed from Spanish china, from Quechua china (“female”).

Noun

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china f (plural chinas)

  1. (Rio Grande do Sul) a woman, especially one of Native American descent
  2. (Rio Grande do Sul, derogatory) a prostitute

Etymology 2

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From China.

Noun

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china m or f by sense (plural chinas)

  1. (dated or informal) Chinaman; Chinese; someone from China
    Synonym: chinês

Quechua

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Pronunciation

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Noun

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china

  1. female (of humans or animals)
  2. a woman of low social status
  3. servant, slavegirl

Declension

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declension of china
singular plural
nominative china chinakuna
accusative chinata chinakunata
dative chinaman chinakunaman
genitive chinap chinakunap
locative chinapi chinakunapi
terminative chinakama chinakunakama
ablative chinamanta chinakunamanta
instrumental chinawan chinakunawan
comitative chinantin chinakunantin
abessive chinannaq chinakunannaq
comparative chinahina chinakunahina
causative chinarayku chinakunarayku
benefactive chinapaq chinakunapaq
associative chinapura chinakunapura
distributive chinanka chinakunanka
exclusive chinalla chinakunalla
possessive forms of china
ñuqap - first-person singular
ñuqap (my) singular plural
nominative chinay chinaykuna
accusative chinayta chinaykunata
dative chinayman chinaykunaman
genitive chinaypa chinaykunap
locative chinaypi chinaykunapi
terminative chinaykama chinaykunakama
ablative chinaymanta chinaykunamanta
instrumental chinaywan chinaykunawan
comitative chinaynintin chinaykunantin
abessive chinayninnaq chinaykunannaq
comparative chinayhina chinaykunahina
causative chinayrayku chinaykunarayku
benefactive chinaypaq chinaykunapaq
associative chinaypura chinaykunapura
distributive chinayninka chinaykunanka
exclusive chinaylla chinaykunalla
qampa - second-person singular
qampa (your) singular plural
nominative chinayki chinaykikuna
accusative chinaykita chinaykikunata
dative chinaykiman chinaykikunaman
genitive chinaykipa chinaykikunap
locative chinaykipi chinaykikunapi
terminative chinaykikama chinaykikunakama
ablative chinaykimanta chinaykikunamanta
instrumental chinaykiwan chinaykikunawan
comitative chinaykintin chinaykikunantin
abessive chinaykinnaq chinaykikunannaq
comparative chinaykihina chinaykikunahina
causative chinaykirayku chinaykikunarayku
benefactive chinaykipaq chinaykikunapaq
associative chinaykipura chinaykikunapura
distributive chinaykinka chinaykikunanka
exclusive chinaykilla chinaykikunalla
paypa - third-person singular
paypa (his/her/its) singular plural
nominative chinan chinankuna
accusative chinanta chinankunata
dative chinanman chinankunaman
genitive chinanpa chinankunap
locative chinanpi chinankunapi
terminative chinankama chinankunakama
ablative chinanmanta chinankunamanta
instrumental chinanwan chinankunawan
comitative chinanintin chinankunantin
abessive chinanninnaq chinankunannaq
comparative chinanhina chinankunahina
causative chinanrayku chinankunarayku
benefactive chinanpaq chinankunapaq
associative chinanpura chinankunapura
distributive chinaninka chinankunanka
exclusive chinanlla chinankunalla
ñuqanchikpa - first-person inclusive plural
ñuqanchikpa (our(incl)) singular plural
nominative chinanchik chinanchikkuna
accusative chinanchikta chinanchikkunata
dative chinanchikman chinanchikkunaman
genitive chinanchikpa chinanchikkunap
locative chinanchikpi chinanchikkunapi
terminative chinanchikkama chinanchikkunakama
ablative chinanchikmanta chinanchikkunamanta
instrumental chinanchikwan chinanchikkunawan
comitative chinanchiknintin chinanchikkunantin
abessive chinanchikninnaq chinanchikkunannaq
comparative chinanchikhina chinanchikkunahina
causative chinanchikrayku chinanchikkunarayku
benefactive chinanchikpaq chinanchikkunapaq
associative chinanchikpura chinanchikkunapura
distributive chinanchikninka chinanchikkunanka
exclusive chinanchiklla chinanchikkunalla
ñuqaykup - first-person exclusive plural
ñuqaykup (our(excl)) singular plural
nominative chinayku chinaykukuna
accusative chinaykuta chinaykukunata
dative chinaykuman chinaykukunaman
genitive chinaykupa chinaykukunap
locative chinaykupi chinaykukunapi
terminative chinaykukama chinaykukunakama
ablative chinaykumanta chinaykukunamanta
instrumental chinaykuwan chinaykukunawan
comitative chinaykuntin chinaykukunantin
abessive chinaykunnaq chinaykukunannaq
comparative chinaykuhina chinaykukunahina
causative chinaykurayku chinaykukunarayku
benefactive chinaykupaq chinaykukunapaq
associative chinaykupura chinaykukunapura
distributive chinaykunka chinaykukunanka
exclusive chinaykulla chinaykukunalla
qamkunap - second-person plural
qamkunap (your(pl)) singular plural
nominative chinaykichik chinaykichikkuna
accusative chinaykichikta chinaykichikkunata
dative chinaykichikman chinaykichikkunaman
genitive chinaykichikpa chinaykichikkunap
locative chinaykichikpi chinaykichikkunapi
terminative chinaykichikkama chinaykichikkunakama
ablative chinaykichikmanta chinaykichikkunamanta
instrumental chinaykichikwan chinaykichikkunawan
comitative chinaykichiknintin chinaykichikkunantin
abessive chinaykichikninnaq chinaykichikkunannaq
comparative chinaykichikhina chinaykichikkunahina
causative chinaykichikrayku chinaykichikkunarayku
benefactive chinaykichikpaq chinaykichikkunapaq
associative chinaykichikpura chinaykichikkunapura
distributive chinaykichikninka chinaykichikkunanka
exclusive chinaykichiklla chinaykichikkunalla
paykunap - third-person plural
paykunap (their) singular plural
nominative chinanku chinankukuna
accusative chinankuta chinankukunata
dative chinankuman chinankukunaman
genitive chinankupa chinankukunap
locative chinankupi chinankukunapi
terminative chinankukama chinankukunakama
ablative chinankumanta chinankukunamanta
instrumental chinankuwan chinankukunawan
comitative chinankuntin chinankukunantin
abessive chinankunnaq chinankukunannaq
comparative chinankuhina chinankukunahina
causative chinankurayku chinankukunarayku
benefactive chinankupaq chinankukunapaq
associative chinankupura chinankukunapura
distributive chinankunka chinankukunanka
exclusive chinankulla chinankukunalla

Descendants

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  • → Spanish: china (“female servant”)

References

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Spanish

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈt͡ʃina/ [ˈt͡ʃi.na]
  • Rhymes: -ina
  • Syllabification: chi‧na

Etymology 1

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From the infantile/nursery word chin, a children's guessing game.[1][2]

Noun

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china f (plural chinas)

  1. pebble, small stone (usually rounded)
  2. (Venezuela) slingshot
Derived terms
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Etymology 2

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Noun

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china f (plural chinas)

  1. female equivalent of chino (“Chinese man”)
  2. china (porcelain)
  3. (Puerto Rico) orange, sweet orange
  4. (colloquial, Cuba) chickenpox
    Synonym: varicela

Adjective

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china

  1. feminine singular of chino

Etymology 3

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Borrowed from Quechua china (“female”).

Noun

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china f (plural chinas)

  1. (derogatory, South America) female servant in a hacienda
  2. (Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua) babysitter
    Synonym: niñera

Etymology 4

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Allusion to the orange fruit's Asian origin (as in sinensis in Citrus sinensis).

Noun

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china f (plural chinas)

  1. (Puerto Rico) orange (fruit)

References

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  1. ^ “china”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10
  2. ^ Roberts, Edward A. (2014) A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the Spanish Language with Families of Words based on Indo-European Roots, Xlibris Corporation, →ISBN

Further reading

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