Manchurian

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. Relating to the region of Manchuria in Northeast Asia; describing the people native to this area; pertaining to the historical or cultural aspects associated with Manchuria
2. Connected with the geographical and cultural characteristics of Manchuria; referring to the ethnic groups originating there; involving customs, language, or events linked to this northeastern region
3. Associated with the northeastern Asian territory of Manchuria; denoting its indigenous population; encompassing the regional history, traditions, or linguistic elements of the area

Etymology: Manchuria is an English name for a large region of northeastern Asia, and "Manchurian" is simply that name with the suffix "-an" attached, the same ending found in words like "American" or "Victorian." The suffix itself has a long pedigree: it passed from Latin "-anus" through Old French "-ain" into Middle English as "-an," and English has been using it to turn place names into adjectives and nouns ever since. The place name does the more interesting work. It comes from "Manchu," the name of the people who founded the Qing dynasty, so the adjective ties a geographic region to the ethnic group that shaped it. Because the word can describe the land, its history, its traditions, or the people who lived there, it covers a range of meanings that a single territory name would not.

Synonyms: manchu