Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-07-28
CHINESE GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES
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We are reading Just now OF many
chinese districts. town and rivers.
Many OF these geographical names
doubtless appear repelIant and unpro-
nonuceable to an except a few persons
who are familiar with them But II
we had better acquaintance with
these names and knew their meaning
they would be found 60 be fun OF in
terest They are often condensed de-
scriptions Of the place or feature to
which they are applied. They are far
more instinct with life than many geo
graphical names ln other countries.
Suppose we had never heard Of Shang-
hal for example but knew the mean
ing Of the two words composing the
name. We would know at once that the
"City Near the Sea" must apply 10 a
seaport. Yum no means THE River Of
Transportation" and we naturally In
fer that the waterway thus designated
must be commercially important Yum
no, IN fact, Is the Chinese name OF the
grand canal which plays so large a part
In the freight service Of East China.
However many syllables there may
be In a Chinese place name it IL com-
posed Of as many words as there are
syllables, for an Chinese words are
monosyllabic II We know the mean
ing Of even one OF the words ina geo
graphical name &c helps 20 convey a
definite idea The words Ho and KiauE.
for example, both mean river" and
when We see them on a map we know
they refer Go O river or stream Many
OF the names of rivers ore descriptive
% them H0ang no. Tor example.
means yellow rver.' Tgn k.ang
"Clear river" Observe how definite Is
the idea expressed in the name of each
Of the three rivers which converge upon
Canton, one OF them rs the s. kang. or
West river another the Pc kang, or
North river the third IS the Tung
kIang. or East river" The names OF
these rivers tell the direction from
which they come. They help Co simplify
the study Of the geography of that part
Of China. When they unite they form
the Chu kIans. or pearl river" The
Chinese named their largest river Oh The
north the HOauc no because 10 cuts lts
bed through yellow soil from which 10
derives its color The yellow food Sc
pours into tho sea coI1s that part of
the ocean yellow, and hence the Chin
csc call the sea HOlug hal OF Yellow
sea.
The Chinese unite the words lr
name $50 that they form one word. ius.
as we write Newton. Hartford or Deer
field Sometimes We unite the words In
a Chinese name and sometimes Ne
separate them. but there .s nl reason
f0r example, why We should write r.aU-
Tsin when we do not write po-kIn Each
Of these names Is composed of tUn
words pe means north and Nn
means "the capitaW or "tha King
household" and thus Pokn means che
northern capital TIen means heaven
ly' and Tsu means 'plaoe' ana This
the name Of the largest city boz North
east China, means heavenly pilc. "a
name 70 haf borne Tor many centuries.
When Marco Polo visited the cIJy In One
thirteenth century De- translated Sos
name into "ClUa Celeste"
Many Chinese names We see loo tho
newspapers and DO not even attempt
90 pronounce would give pcs as much
information. ~ We could translate them.
as long sentence might DO H8nkow.
Cor example IS the name OF q very Inn
portant city on the Yang tse hang.
There are only six lSttere In the name