Etymology

Guangdong

Guang·dong
G2U1A1N1G2D2O1N1G2

Today it means: A populous province of China, located on the southern coast. Capital: Guangzhou. Full definition →

Mandarin 廣東 /广东
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The story

  1. Mandarin · derived from廣東 /广东
  2. English todayGuangdong

From the Hanyu Pinyin romanization of Mandarin 廣東 /广东 (Guǎngdōng). 廣／广 (guǎng) itself means "expanse", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in 226 CE. "Guangdong" and neighbouring Guangxi literally mean "Guang East" and "Guang West". Together, Guangdong and Guangxi are called the "Two Guangs" (兩廣／两广 (Liǎngguǎng) Liangguang). Doublet of Canton, which went through Portuguese.

Words from the same roots

Mandarin廣東 all →

cantonpancit canton

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.