Dear Lennart,
thank you.
According to Chinese scholars, the term probably derived from Mahachinasthana, which was used by ancient Indians to address the Great Qin Empire, or the Qin dynasty. Ever since, "cina" continued to be used by Indian merchants and monks who travelled to China or referred to China. This continuing usage by Buddhists, even as the Qin dynasty was succeeded by a string of other dynasties, is actually a funny application of a particular translation practice.
Also, between mid 1800s and the 1930s, Japanese also referred to China as æ"¯é£, this term is pronounced shi-na ï¼ã·ãï¼ in Japanese, or zhi-na in Mandarin (Pu-tong-hua) Chinese. Due to the hostility between Japan and China in the era of colonisation, Chinese generally regarded "Shina" as a racist and derogatory name, specifically when used by Japanese.
Marco Polo would have probably popularised this name for China. Even today, the Italian name for China is Cina.
Just a brief report of the research I just spent the past hour doing. Anyway, how then would we say Chinese people in Pali?
CÄ«namanussÄ?
metta,
Yong Peng.
--- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, Lennart Lopin wrote:
CÄ«na
So for instance in Milindapanha:
ââYathÄ, mahÄrÄja, sadhano nÄviko paá¹á¹ane suá¹á¹hu katasuá¹
ko mahÄsamuddaá¹ pavisitvÄ vaá¹
gaá¹ takkolaá¹ cÄ«naá¹ sovÄ«raá¹ suraá¹á¹haá¹ alasandaá¹ kolapaá¹á¹anaá¹ suvaá¹á¹abhÅ«miá¹ gacchati aññampi yaá¹ kiñci nÄvÄsañcaraá¹aá¹,
> What is Pali for China, the country in Asia? Thank you.