The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-22
CnyNEss 9EoeRAPRYcAI, NAHEs
sisniAcaas 10 These who Understand n,
L~AnEuage.

~
language.
We are reading just now OF many Chinese
districts. towns and rivers. Many OF these
geographical names doubtless appear repellant
and unpronounceable TO all except a few per-
sons who are familiar with them. Buff we had
al better acquaintance with these names and
knew their meaning they would be found to be-
full OF interest. They are often condensed de-
scriptions OF the ploee or feature to which they
are applied. They are far more instinct with
life than many geographical names In other
countries. Suppose we had never heard OF
Shanghai. for example. but knew the meaning
Of the two words composing the name. We
wouldknow at once that the city Near the Sea-
must apply 10 a seaport. u no means This
River Of transportation" and We naturally
infer that the waterway thus designated must
be commercially important. Yum no. In fact,
Is the Chinese nam OF the Grand Canal which
plays so large q part In the freight service Of
east China.
However many syllables there may be in q
Chinese place name Its composed Of as macy
words as there are syilables, for all Chinese
words are monosyllabic. II we know the mean
ing OF even one OF the words In a geographical
name II helps to convey a definite idea. The
words Ho and Kiang. for example. both mean
river" and when we see them on a map we
know they refer tn Q river or stream. Many Of
the names Of rivers arc descriptive OF them.
HoanR no. for example. meanr yellow
River" Tsin kiang means Clear River" OBJ
serve how definite, Il the idea expressed in the
name Of each Of the three rivers which converge
upon Canton. One Of them IL the Siniane. or
west Riv or. " another the Pc kiang. or "North
River the third Ia the TunR kian9. or "East
River" The names Of these rivers tells the a.
rection from which they come. They help "a
simplify the study Of the geography Of that
part Of China. When they unite they form the
Chu kiang, or pearl River" The Chimes
named their largest river In the north tho
Hoang no because II cuts Its bed through yellow
soil from which II derives Its color. The yellow
food 1t pours into the sea colors that part Of
the ocean yellow. and hence the Chinese call
the sea Hoang hal. or Yellow e
The Chinese unite the words In a name 20 that
they form one word just as we write Newtown.
Hartford or DeerHeld. Sometimes We unite the
words IN a Chinese name and sometimes We
separate them but there Is no reason for er.
ample, why we should write Tien-Tsin when va
do not write Ps-Kin. Each Of these names IL
composed Of two words, Pc means north"
and Kin means the capital" or the kings
household" and thus Pekin means the northern
capital. TEN means heavenly" and Tsin
means "~place," and thus the name Of the
largest city in northeast China means "heav.
enly place "a name Il has borne for many cen
turtles. when Marco Polo visited the cftyin
the thirteenth century he translated its nam
into "Ctta Celeste"
Many Chinese names we see In the newsra-
pers and do not even attempt 70 pronoun ce
would give us as much information, II We could
translate them, as a long sentence might do,
Hankow. for example, Il the name OF a very
important city on the Yang tse kiang. There
are only sig letters in the name and yet
any Chinese boy would know from the
two short words composing II that II Ia the
name Of the town standing at the how or
mouth Of a river named Han. The Han II the
greatest tributary OF the Yang tse kiang and
plays a most imr ortant part in tho commercial
life Of that teemiDg valley; and the city built
on the spot where the Han mingles its waters
with the Yang tss Il Hankow. !. O.. the town at
the mouth OF the Han.
The word Yang means ocean" tse means
''son. and the name Yang tse kianR which the
Chinese applied ages ago TO their greatest river
shows that they did not mean TO dapreciate It's
importance. Some writer's say the early Chinese
believed their largest river contributed more
water TO the making OF the ocean than any
other stream In the world. and 30 In the nameof
the river they conveyed the idea that the ocean
was its son. The name is often enormously
translated the Blue River.
Pekin has not always been the capital Of the
Empire. but Nankin, a city far TO the south.
vas long the seat Of government: and. as the
Pekin means northern capital, 40 the
name Nankin means southern capital"
River IL the meaning OF Pei no near
whose mouth are the forts Just seized by the
In some books and maps we sAe the words
"fu" or ''hien' added to the names OF many
towns. These words are not a part OF tho
names. and some Of the best atlases omit them.
for they lengthen the name and make It NOR,
formidable to the foreigner. Flu means the
capital Of one Of the departments into which .
province Is divided IN other words II Is tho
residence Of the oficial at the head Of the de-
partment. Hen signifies one OF the districts
which q department Is divided. and when
attached 10 a place name means that the
official In charge OF the district resides there.
II is better to omit these merely political desig-
nations. When we have more intimate dealings
with China and better knowledge OF the people
their country, We shall have uniformity in
the spelling Of China's place names, and know
what these names mean; and we shall zee
clearly that these names show considerable i'm
,~ginative and descriptive facility. and that they
ire really helpful in tho study Of Chinese geog-