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Definition of xiang

xiang

/ʃjɑːŋ/
xiang

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xiang Lexical Profile

xiang Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A group of linguistically related Chinese dialects spoken predominantly in Hunan province, China, and often referred to colloquially as Hunanese.

Example

"Linguists studying the Sinitic languages note that Xiang has been heavily influenced by neighboring Mandarin varieties over the centuries."


2

A major river in southern China that flows northward through Hunan province into Lake Dongting, serving as a critical commercial waterway and cultural landmark.

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.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020

Cite this Entry


Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Xiang. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/xiang
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