xian
IPA: zjˈɑn
Root Word: Xian
noun
- A surname from Chinese.
- (China, Taiwan) An administrative subdivision of imperial, republican, and communist China roughly equivalent to counties, now distinguished from the more urban "districts" (qu). (Alternative form of hsien for Taiwan (ROC).)
- (sometimes proscribed) Alternative form of Xi'an, the provincial capital of Shaanxi, in central China. [A subprovincial city, the provincial capital of Shaanxi, in central China.]
- (sometimes derogatory or offensive) Abbreviation of Christian. [A believer in Christianity.]
- (sometimes derogatory or offensive) Alternative form of Xian: Christian. [A surname from Chinese.]
adjective
- (sometimes derogatory or offensive) Abbreviation of Christian. [(not comparable) Of, like or relating to Christianity or Christians.]
- (sometimes derogatory or offensive) Alternative form of Xian: Christian.
Examples of "xian" in Sentences
- Long, cylindrical-shaped zongzi called xian rou zong
- Movieguide isn't giving a "xian" perspective on Darwin.
- While in Chinese we speak of the san-xian 'three-string', there is also the er-hu 'two-string'.
- This hypothesis has a clear precedent in the native name of the haunting Chinese lute, the san-xian 三弦, likewise meaning precisely 'three-string'.
- Beijing Pie House serves a dozen meat- and vegetable-filled pies, called xian bing, as well as savory pancakes, noodle soups and other northern Chinese specialties.
- The "ten-thousand household," "one thousand household," and "one hundred household" administrative entities were replaced with lu (circuit), fu (prefect), zhou (department), and xian (county).
- Transportation was handled by designated transportation commissioners, and mines were under local officials of prefecture (fu), subprefecture (zhou), county (xian), and subcounty (ting) where mines were located.
- State schools in Yunnan consisted of two kinds, one under the regular administrative units, namely, prefecture (fu), department (zhou), and county (xian) for the imperial subjects, and the other under the Wei-Suo system, called guard school (weixue), exclusively for military households.
- Housed near the seats of prefecture, guard, department, and county mainly were Han and Bo people (Junzhong yi yi han zachu, lie wu yu fu, wei, zhou, xian zhi jinzhe, dadi duo han bo) .128 Such a description vividly illustrates the situation of the mid-Ming when Han people settled down in urban Yunnan and fertile bazi and competed for advantageous living spaces with the indigenous population.