xiang
xiang Lexical Profile
• noun
A group of linguistically related Chinese dialects spoken predominantly in Hunan province, China, and often referred to colloquially as Hunanese.
"Linguists studying the Sinitic languages note that Xiang has been heavily influenced by neighboring Mandarin varieties over the centuries."
A major river in southern China that flows northward through Hunan province into Lake Dongting, serving as a critical commercial waterway and cultural landmark.
"The ancient city of Changsha was built along the fertile banks of the Xiang."
Word Nuance & Usage
Often capitalized as a proper noun ('Xiang') in English texts. In older literature, it frequently appears as 'Hsiang' following the Wade-Giles romanization system.
• Rhymes for xiang
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Mandarin Chinese 湘 (Xiāng), which serves as the name of a major river and the historical abbreviation for Hunan province.