中原

Chinese

		middle; centre; within middle; centre; within; among; in; while (doing sth); during; China; Chinese; hit (the mark)	former; original; primary former; original; primary; raw; level; cause; source
simp. and trad. (中原)		中	原
2nd round simp.		中𰆖
Literally: “central plain”.

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): Zhōngyuán

  (Zhuyin): ㄓㄨㄥ ㄩㄢˊ

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): җунйүан (žunyüan, I-I)

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zung¹ jyun⁴
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): Chûng-ngièn / Chûng-ngiàn
• Eastern Min (BUC): Dṳ̆ng-nguòng
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): Tiong-goân

  (Teochew, Peng'im): dong¹ nguêng⁵

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: Zhōngyuán
    • Zhuyin: ㄓㄨㄥ ㄩㄢˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: Jhongyuán
    • Wade–Giles: Chung¹-yüan²
    • Yale: Jūng-ywán
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: Jongyuan
    • Palladius: Чжунъюань (Čžunʺjuanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ ɥɛn³⁵/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: җунйүан (žunyüan, I-I)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂuŋ²⁴ yæ̃²⁴/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: zung¹ jyun⁴
    • Yale: jūng yùhn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzung¹ jyn⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: zung¹ yun⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ jyːn²¹/
• Hakka
  • (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: Chûng-ngièn
    • Hakka Romanization System: zung´ ngienˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: zung¹ ngian²
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡suŋ²⁴ ŋi̯en¹¹/
  • (Southern Sixian, incl. Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: Chûng-ngiàn
    • Hakka Romanization System: zung´ ngianˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: zung¹ ngian²
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡suŋ²⁴ ŋi̯an¹¹/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: Dṳ̆ng-nguòng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tyŋ⁵⁵ ŋuoŋ⁵³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tiong-goân
    • Tâi-lô: Tiong-guân
    • Phofsit Daibuun: dionggoaan
    • IPA (Xiamen): /tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² ɡuan²⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /tiɔŋ³³ ɡuan²⁴/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² ɡuan¹³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ ɡuan²⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ ɡuan²³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: dong¹ nguêng⁵
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tong nguêng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /toŋ³³⁻²³ ŋueŋ⁵⁵/

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• Middle Chinese: trjuwng ngjwon

Rime
Character	中	原
Reading #	1/2	1/1
Initial (聲)	知 (9)	疑 (31)
Final (韻)	東 (2)	元 (66)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Closed
Division (等)	III	III
Fanqie	陟弓切	愚袁切
Baxter	trjuwng	ngjwon
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʈɨuŋ/	/ŋʉɐn/
Pan Wuyun	/ʈiuŋ/	/ŋʷiɐn/
Shao Rongfen	/ȶiuŋ/	/ŋiuɐn/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʈuwŋ/	/ŋuan/
Li Rong	/ȶiuŋ/	/ŋiuɐn/
Wang Li	/ȶĭuŋ/	/ŋĭwɐn/
Bernard Karlgren	/ȶi̯uŋ/	/ŋi̯wɐn/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	zhōng	yuán
Expected Cantonese Reflex	zung1	jyun4

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*truŋ  N-ɢʷar/

  (Zhengzhang): /*tuŋ  ŋʷan/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	中	原
Reading #	1/2	2/2
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	zhōng	yuán
Middle Chinese	‹ trjuwng ›	‹ ngjwon ›
Old Chinese	/*truŋ/	/*N-ɢʷar/
English	center	high plain (n.)
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	中	原
Reading #	1/2	1/1
No.	17407	16186
Phonetic component	中	原
Rime group	終	元
Rime subdivision	0	1
Corresponding MC rime	中	元
Old Chinese	/*tuŋ/	/*ŋʷan/
Notes		金文象泉源，爲源初文

Proper noun

中原

1. the Central Plain (area on the lower reaches of the Yellow River which formed the cradle of Chinese civilization)

   • 若以君之靈，得反晉國，晉楚治兵，遇於中原，其辟君三舍。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     若以君之灵，得反晋国，晋楚治兵，遇于中原，其辟君三舍。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Ruò yǐ jūn zhī líng, dé fǎn Jìn guó, Jìn Chǔ zhì bīng, yù yú zhōngyuán, qí bì jūn sān shè. [Pinyin]

     If by your lordship's powerful influence I shall recover the State of Jin, should Chu and Jin go to war and meet in the plain of the Middle Land, I will withdraw from your lordship three stages [each of 30 li].

   • 今南方已定，兵甲已足，當獎率三軍，北定中原。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     今南方已定，兵甲已足，当奖率三军，北定中原。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 227, Zhuge Liang, 出師表

     Jīn nánfāng yǐ dìng, bīngjiǎ yǐ zú, dāng jiǎng shuài sānjūn, běi dìng Zhōngyuán. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

2. China
3. (literary) middle of a plain

   • 中原有菽，庶民采之。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad. and simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Zhōngyuán yǒu shū, shùmín cǎi zhī. [Pinyin]

     In the midst of the plain there is pulse,
     And the common people gather it.

4. (～區) Zhongyuan (a district of Zhengzhou, Henan, China)
5. (～街道) Zhongyuan (a subdistrict of Fancheng district, Xiangyang, Hubei, China)

Synonyms

• (the Central Plain): (archaic) 中國／中国 (Zhōngguó), 中土 (Zhōngtǔ), 中州 (Zhōngzhōu)
• (China):

• 中 (abbreviation)
• 中國／中国 (Zhōngguó)
• 中華／中华 (Zhōnghuá)
• 九州 (Jiǔzhōu)
• 唐山 (Tángshān)
• 域中 (yùzhōng) (literary, figurative)
• 天下 (tiānxià) (lofty)
• 天朝 (Tiāncháo) (historical or Internet slang)
• 支那 (Zhīnà) (obsolete, now usually derogatory or offensive)
• 桃花石 (Táohuāshí) (obsolete)
• 猜拿 (transliteration of English China)
• 神州 (Shénzhōu) (literary)
• 種花家／种花家 (Zhònghuājiā) (slang, humorous)
• 脂那 (Zhīnà) (obsolete)
• 至那 (Zhìnà) (obsolete)
• 華／华 (abbreviation)
• 華夏／华夏 (Huáxià)
• 諸夏／诸夏 (Zhūxià)
• 諸華／诸华 (Zhūhuá)
• 赤縣／赤县 (Chìxiàn) (literary)
• 赤縣神州／赤县神州 (Chìxiàn Shénzhōu) (literary)
• 震旦 (Zhèndàn) (archaic)

 

Derived terms

• 中原大戰／中原大战 (Zhōngyuán Dàzhàn)
• 中原官話／中原官话 (Zhōngyuán guānhuà)
• 中原板蕩／中原板荡
• 中原標準時間／中原标准时间
• 中原逐鹿
• 中原音韻／中原音韵 (Zhōngyuán Yīnyùn)
• 逐鹿中原 (zhúlùzhōngyuán)

 

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (中原):

• → Japanese: 中(ちゅう)原(げん) (Chūgen)
• → Korean: 중원(中原) (Jung'won)
• → Vietnamese: Trung Nguyên (中原)

Others:

• → English: Central Plain, Zhongyuan
• → Zhuang: Cunghyenz

Japanese

Kanji in this term
中	原
なか Grade: 1	はら Grade: 2
kun’yomi

Proper noun

中(なか)原(はら) • (Nakahara) 

1. a surname