Sinae

See also: sinä

Latin
An early modern Latin map after Ptolemy, showing SINÆ on the Great Gulf at the eastern end of the landlocked Indian Ocean.
An 18th-century Latin map of China Proper (Sinæ Propriæ).

Etymology

From Ancient Greek Σῖναι (Sînai) of uncertain etymology, but probably from Sanskrit चीन (Cīna, “China”), possibly via Arabic صِين‎ (Ṣīn, “China; the Chinese”) and usually held to derive from Old Chinese 秦 (*zin, “Qin”). See "Names of China" at Wikipedia.

Pronunciation

Proper noun

Sīnae f pl (genitive Sīnārum); first declension

  1. (culture) the Chinese, specifically:
    1. (Classical Latin) the southern Chinese reached via the maritime Silk Road to Panyu (Guangzhou), not known at the time to be related to the Seres reached by the overland route to Chang'an (Xi'an)
    2. (New Latin) the Chinese people: the Han Chinese or citizens of China.
  2. the land of the Chinese, specifically:
    1. (Classical Latin) the land of the southern Chinese
    2. (New Latin) China (a country in East Asia, either the Republic or People's Republic of China)

Declension

First-declension noun, plural only.

Case Plural
Nominative Sīnae
Genitive Sīnārum
Dative Sīnīs
Accusative Sīnās
Ablative Sīnīs
Vocative Sīnae

Synonyms
  • (Republic of China): Rēs Pūblica Sīnārum (New Latin)
  • (People’s Republic of China): Rēs Pūblica Populāris Sīnārum (New Latin)

Derived terms
  • Rēs Pūblica Populāris Sīnārum
  • Rēs Pūblica Sīnārum
  • sīno-

Descendants
  • English: Sino-, Sinese

See also
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