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chi·na

(chīnə)

1. High-quality porcelain or other ceramic ware, originally made in China.

2. Porcelain or earthenware used for the table.

[Variant of earlier chiney, from Persian chīnī, Chinese, from chīn, China, ultimately of Chinese origin; akin to Mandarin Qín; see QIN.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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