The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1900-08-08
QUEER CHINESE TERMS.
Names Used In China For Des-
ignating the Nations.
EoW THEY GAME TO BE CHOSEN.

eyllables In the Language Are Cho-
SEN which Approach the Nearest Inn
sound the SyllabIes I'm the Foreign
Name-"kwO,n Meaning Country"
Made Latter Half of Each Name.
In view of the present relations ex-
listing between China and the civilized
powers, it is of interest to know what
names have been used In China to
designate these nations, says the
Washington correspondent of the New
York Post. England is known as Ying
Ewo, meaning the tourishing coun-
try;'' France as Fa Kwo, meaning 1.-THE
law abiding country" Germany as Te
Kwo, meaning "the yirtuous country"
Italy as | Iwo, meaning the country
Of Justice" and the United States as
Mel kwo, meaning the beautiful
country
1t is a peculiarity of Chinese names
for foreign persons and places that the
syllables in the Chinese language are
chosen which most nearly approach in
sound the syllables in the foreign
name. For example. the-city of Port
land, Or, where there-isf II. large and
dourishing Chinese colony, us known
to the Chinese as Poem Luen, because
there are no Chinese syllables exactly
equivalent TO port" and land"
When the various western nations
entered into treaty relations with
China, it became necessary, in the Chi
nese versions of the treaties, to use
signatures which would have some
significance in the Chinese language
"Kwo," meaning country" was by
general consent made the latter half
of each name, and the beginning of
each name was approximated as near
" as possible to the sound OF thai
name in the language OF the country
to which 1t applied, keeping always In
view the selection of sylIable-if
there were any choice-which would
not be dishonorable or otherwise mex
pedieDt. Thus "Ying" came as near
the first syllable of the name Eng
land as any which could be selected;
"Fa," in the same way. suggested the
first letters in France"
Italy's name speaks for itself. That
of Germany is undoubtedly an attempt
to approach the opening letters of
deutschland" In the case of the
United States the approximation is un-
dOubtedly to the second and third syl-
lables of America" The syllable in
each case with which the name of a
nation opened was chosen by the ma
ton itself, with China's consent, and
the representatives who made the
choice probably had in mind the moral
effect to be produced, as superstitiOus
Chinese are peculiarly susceptible II
the influence of names in business and
diplomacy.
Japan's case stands in some contrast
with the others. The Chinese have al
ways had Il liking for monosyllables
for the names of foreign countries, and
90 different was the spirit of japan
when China first knew her from what
it has become In the last few years
that in all Chinese historical dOcu
ments the name of her island neighbol
appears as IVA" or "Wo," meaning
submissive" or winding and twist
ing" Although this name has no,
been so agreeable to Japan of late
years, she has made no formal profess
against it, though her general prefer
ence Is for the name Eli Pen" meaning
"the rising sun" If she is to be re
duced to monosyllable with tht
"Kwo' termination, she would rather
be known as iii Kwo," or 'the land o
the sim !"