Kwangtung

Học thuật
Thân thiện
Definition

Proper noun: * A province in southern China: Kwangtung is an older romanization for the name of a coastal province in southern China. The modern standard romanization for this province is Guangdong.

Usage Notes
  • Historical vs. Modern Usage: "Kwangtung" is primarily found in historical texts, older maps, or documents using the Wade-Giles romanization system. In contemporary English writing, "Guangdong" is the universally accepted and correct term.
  • Capital: The capital city of this province is Guangzhou, which was historically romanized as "Canton." This is why the province is sometimes informally associated with "Canton."
  • Function: As a proper noun, it is typically capitalized and used to refer specifically to the geographic and administrative region.
Examples
Advanced Usage
  • The term may appear in academic historical or linguistic discussions about romanization systems.
  • It can be used attributively in historical contexts (e.g., , ), though "Guangdong" is preferred for modern references.
Variants and Related Words
  • Guangdong (n.): The modern Pinyin romanization and standard English name for the province.
  • Canton (n.): A historical romanization for the province's capital city, Guangzhou. The phrase "Canton Province" was also historically used.
Synonyms
  • Guangdong (This is the direct modern synonym, not a different place).
Noun
  1. a province in southern China