Etymology

Transcription of the same Old Persian Hinduka ("India", or its minor variants) as 天竺 (Tiānzhú). It is the oldest of the Chinese names for India, and occurs in Shiji in connection with the mission of Zhang Qian to Daxia.

Using Middle Chinese reconstructions of the two characters in this word (ɕiɪn duok̚) gives the false impression that this is derived from the name of Sindhu (सिन्धु) – the name of the westernmost kingdom of India. Factors making this etymology unlikely include:

1. Zhang Qian had no direct contact with India or with the Indians. He gathered the name from the people of Daxia which was a pure Iranian zone then under the occupation of Yuezhi;
2. The choice of an alveolopalatal sibilant ɕ- for a clear dental sibilant s- in the original language; cf. known transcriptions of Sindhu: 新頭 新陶 辛頭 信度, all commencing with a dental sibilant; and
3. The presence of a final -k in 身毒, as in 天竺.

The ancient Chinese writers have long suggested that shēn in this word had a different pronunciation. Yuan Shigu in his commentary to the Hanshu says:

捐毒即身毒、天篤也，本皆一名，語有輕重耳。‎ ― Juandu (捐毒), Shendu (身毒) and Tiandu (天篤) are originally the same name pronounced either lightly or with emphasis.

Pronunciation