Latin

An early modern Latin map after Ptolemy, showing SINÆ on the Great Gulf at the eastern end of the landlocked Indian Ocean.

An 18th-century Latin map of China Proper (Sinæ Propriæ).

Proper noun

Sinae f pl ‎(genitive Sinārum, locative Sinīs); first declension

1. (culture) The Chinese, specifically:
   1. (Classical) The southern Chinese: the Cantonese, Vietnamese, and other Yue peoples reached via the maritime Silk Road to Panyu (Guangzhou), not known at the time to be related to the Seres reached by the overland route to Chang'an (Xi'an).
   2. (New Latin) The Chinese people: the Han Chinese or citizens of China.
2. (geography) The land of the Chinese, specifically:
   1. (Classical) The land of the southern Chinese: Guangdong and northern Vietnam.
   2. (New Latin) China: the Republic or People's Republic of China.

Inflection

First declension.

Synonyms

• (New Latin): Res Publica Popularis Sinarum (usually), Res Publica Sinarum (dated)

Derived terms

• Res Publica Popularis Sinarum
• Res Publica Sinarum
• sino-

Descendants

• English: Sino-, Sinese

See also

• Sēres
• Taivania