Chinatown

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A neighborhood in a city, typically with a significant Chinese population, where Chinese shops, restaurants, and cultural institutions are concentrated
2. An urban area predominantly inhabited by Chinese people and featuring Chinese-owned businesses, temples, and cultural establishments
3. A city district characterized by Chinese residents and merchants, offering Chinese goods, cuisine, and cultural landmarks

Etymology: Chinatown is about as transparent as English compounds get: "China" joined to "town," a plain description of a district where Chinese people live and work. The compound itself needs little explanation, but the pattern behind it is worth noticing. English speakers attached "-town" to the name of a place or group to label a settled neighborhood of that group, and "Chinatown" follows the same model as other such labels. The word's real interest lies in what it does rather than where it comes from. Because it names a specific kind of urban district, it is often used as shorthand for the community itself, its shops, restaurants, and cultural life, which can be recognized in cities across the world. The compound thus moved from a simple geographic description to a label for an entire cultural enclave.