Etymology

Chinchew

Chin·chew
C3H4I1N1C3H4E1W4

Today it means: Quanzhou (a city in southern Fujian, China). Full definition →

Spanish Chincheo ← Hokkien 漳州
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The story

  1. Hokkien · derived from漳州“Chiangchew/Zhangzhou”
  2. Spanish · borrowed fromChincheo
  3. English todayChinchew

Uncertain. Either: * Borrowed from Spanish Chincheo directly or indirectly via Portuguese Chincheo, ultimately from Hokkien 漳州 (Cheng-chiu, “Chiangchew/Zhangzhou”, IPA: /t͡ɕiɪŋ³³ t͡ɕiu³³/) specifically of the Quanzhou Hokkien dialect pronunciation, according to Van der Loon (1967), Boxer (1953) and the 1902 Encyclopedia from older late 1800s records, due to European sailors initially denoting on maps the Bay of Amoy and surrounding areas as "漳州" with various transcriptions such as "Chiochiu", "Chanchiu", "Chincheo", etc. as per Van der Loon (1967). * From a supposed previous "Tsuien-chow" romanization, from Mandarin 泉州 (Quánzhōu, IPA: /t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn³⁵ ʈ͡ʂoʊ̯⁵⁵/) according to Duncan (1902) Compare Chiangchew. See also Hokkien 晉江 /晋江 (Chìn-kang), 泉州 (Choân-chiu), 漳州 (Chiang-chiu / Cheng-chiu), 漳江.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.