Why Is China Called "China"?

The English name "China" likely derives from the Qin Dynasty (221–206 BCE), the first unified Chinese empire. The Sanskrit word Cīna (चीन), used in ancient India, may have come from "Qin" (pronounced "Chin" in Old Chinese). This term traveled via Persian (Chīn), Malay (Cina), and Portuguese (China) into European languages.

Alternative theories link it to the Jin state (ancient Zhou vassal) or the Sanskrit Cīnā meaning "the Middle Kingdom" (Zhōngguó). Regardless, the Qin unification left a lasting imprint on the world's name for the country.