Taiwan

See also: Taiwán, Taïwan, Táiwān, Tâi-oân, and T'ai-wan

English

The Taiwanese flag

17th century former sandbank of "Taiwan"/"Tayouan"/"Taioan" (now silted up and connected to the island as modern-day Anping District, Tainan) with Fort Zeelandia on it

Alternative forms

• Taïwan (from French)
• Tai-wan, T'ai-wan (dated, from Wade-Giles romanization of Mandarin)
• Tywan, Taywan, Tay-wan, Tayuan, Tayoan, Tayouan (obsolete, from Dutch)

Etymology

The specific form "Taiwan" in English emerged from the letters of Wade–Giles Tʻai²-wan¹ romanization of Mandarin 臺灣／台湾 (Táiwān) and also possibly the romaji of Japanese 臺灣(たいわん) (taiwan), which both of whom are ultimately from Literary Chinese 臺灣, which came from Hokkien 大員 (Tāi-oân), 大圓, 臺員, 大灣, 臺灣, etc., a placename initially referring to a sandbank peninsula that later silted up now wholly part of the island in the area of modern-day Anping District, Tainan, and eventually became the name of the entire island. The original placename itself was likely originally a loanword transcription from possibly Siraya. Cognate with Dutch Tayouan / Taioan / Taiwan / etc., and other early variant forms of Hokkien 臺窩灣／台窝湾 (Tâi-o-oân), etc. The name is sometimes folk-etymologized to supposedly originally mean "terraced bay" (臺灣／台湾) or "great bay" (大灣／大湾) or similar parsings from interpreting the meaning from the Chinese characters alone.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌtaɪ̯ˈwɑn/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˌtɑɪ̯ˈwan/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌtaɪ̯ˈwɑːn/, /ˌtaɪ̯ˈwæn/, /ˌtaɪ̯ˈwɒn/
• (Philippines) IPA^(key): /ˌt̪aɪ̯ˈwan̪/
• enPR: tīʹwänʹ

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑːn, -æn, -ɒn

Proper noun

Taiwan

1. A country in East Asia. Official name: Republic of China. Capital: Taipei. [from 20th c.]

   Synonyms: Chinese Taipei; Republic of China; ROC; Formosa; Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu

   • 1971, Lyndon Johnson, “Feeding the Hungry: India's Food Crisis”, in The Vantage Point‎^[4], Holt, Reinhart & Winston, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 224:

     India was not alone in its predicament or in its policy. While a few developing countries like Taiwan, Mexico, and Thailand had made remarkable progress in agriculture and had experienced success in curbing their population increases, others were nearly as bad off as India, even without a drought.

   • 1996 March 15, Leyla Linton, “London students sing their defiance”, in The Times‎^[5], number 65,528, →ISSN, →OCLC, Overseas News, page 14, column 2:

     Pei Ling Wu, 30, said: "I am worried about my family, but they do not want to leave Taiwan. They want to defend their country and fight to the end. If China continues to push us, independence is the only solution."

   • 2018 October 9, “Taiwan conducts massive military drills ahead of National Day”, in EFE‎^[6], archived from the original on 18 August 2022:

     Taiwan carried out an unprecedented military drill Tuesday, a day ahead of its National Day celebrations, in Taoyuan in northern parts of the country.
     The drill was attended by Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen, and President of Paraguay Mario Abdo Benitez, who is on a state visit to Taiwan until Thursday.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:Taiwan.
2. An island between the Taiwan Strait and Philippine Sea in East Asia. [1600s]

   Synonym: Formosa

   • 1888, James Harrison Wilson, chapter III, in China: Travels and Investigations in the "Middle Kingdom": A Study of Its Civilization and Possibilites‎^[7], →OCLC, page 26:

     The Government claims suzerainty over and receives tribute more or less regularly from Corea, and also from Anam, Siam, Burmah, and part of the Loochoo Islands, and it has recently erected the beautiful and extensive Island of Formosa, or Taiwan, hitherto attached to the province of Fo-Kien, into a separate province with its own governor-general who, like those of the other provinces, is appointed directly from Peking.

   • 1900 June 1, W. M. Davis, “Current Notes on Physiography.”, in Science‎^[8], volume XI, number 283, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 871, column 2:

     The Pescadores or Hoko islands, lying between Formosa (Taiwan) and the Chinese coast, are described by Koto (Notes on the Geology of the dependent isles of Taiwan, Journ. Coll. Sci., Imp. Univ., Tokyo, xiii, 1899, pt. 1) as the ragged remnants of a series of nearly horizontal basalt sheets with intercalated strata of supposed Tertiary age.

   • 1963, Dwight Eisenhower, “Formosa Doctrine”, in Mandate for Change 1953-1956‎^[9], Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 460:

     As a result of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95, China lost to Japan the important islands of Taiwan (Formosa) and the Pescadores, lying about a hundred miles off the Chinese coast.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:Taiwan.
3. An administrative division including Taiwan and nearby islands.

   Synonym: Formosa

   1. (historical) A prefecture of Fujian, China (Qing Empire) (1683–1885).
      • 1864, Robert Swinhoe, “Notes on the Island of Formosa.”, in The Journal of the Royal Geographic Society of London‎^[10], volume XXXIV, London: John Murray, published 1865, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 6:

        TAIWAN, or Chinese Formosa, is considered a Foo or district of the province of Fokien, and is governed by a Taoutai extraordinary, who, though responsible to the provincial viceroy, possesses the privilege of memorialising the Throne direct. “The district of Taiwan,” says the Chinese Government Chart, of which a copy was supplied to me by the Formosan authorities, “is bounded in the rear by mountains, and in front by the sea. The ancestral hills of Formosa derive their origin from the Woo-hoo-mun (Five Tiger Gate), the entrance to Foochow, whence they glided across the sea. In the ocean towards the east are two places called Tungkwan (Damp Limit) and Pih-mow (White Acre), which mark the spots where the dragons of the Formosan hills emerged. These sacred reptiles had pierced unseen the depths of ocean, and announcing their ascent to the surface by throwing up the bluff at Kelung-head, by a number of violent contortions heaved up the regular series of hills, valleys, and plains that extend north and south in varied undulations for the space of 1000 leagues (applied figuratively). The mountain-peaks are too multitudinous to enumerate, and the geography of the island too comprehensive to take into present consideration ; we will therefore confine ourselves to a few general remarks. In rear of the hills, eastward, flows the ocean ; facing them, to the westward, is the sea ; and between lies the prefecture of Taiwan.”

      • 1887 February, W. Campbell, “A Few Notes from the Pescadores.”, in Chinese Recorder and Missionary Journal‎^[11], volume XVIII, number 2, Shanghai: American Presbyterian Mission Press, →OCLC, page 62:

        THE PESCADORES, consisting of over twenty inhabited islands, besides several inlets and rocks, lie off the south-western coast of Formosa at a minimum distance of about twenty-five miles, and the entire group is set down on the charts as extending from latitude 23° 12′ to 23° 47′ N., and from longitude 119° 19′ to 119° 41′ E. They form together the Dashing Lake District or Ting, 澎湖廳, of the Taiwan Prefecture, and are placed under the control of resident civil and military mandarins who report to their superior officers at Taiwanfoo.

      • 1980, Ramon H. Myers, “The Public Sector: The State”, in The Chinese Economy Past and Present‎^[12], →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, pages 78–79:

        In effect each area paid an assigned land tax quota, which was allocated among households — depending upon the amount of land they owned and registered with the land tax office. Households paid this tax in silver, and by 1736 the state collected this kind of land tax in all provinces except Shansi, Taiwan prefecture (part of Fukien province), and Kweichow.

      • 2016 [2014 April 17], “President Ma Attends "Examining the Diaoyutai/Senkaku Islands Dispute under New and Multiple Perspectives" International Conference”, in Ying-jeou Ma, editor, Chinese (Taiwan) Yearbook of International Law and Affairs‎^[13], volume 32 (2014), Brill Nijhoff, →ISBN, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 281:

        President Ma further noted that in 1683 during the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) the emperor formally included the Diaoyutais as territory of China in Taiwan Prefecture, Fujian Province. In 1812, the Diaoyutais were placed under the administration of the Kavalan Office of the Taiwan prefectural government, he added, pointing out that the Record of Missions to Taiwan and Adjacent Waters 《臺海使槎錄》 and the Illustrations of Taiwan 《全臺圖説》 prove that China effectively ruled over the Diaoyutai Islets during the Qing Dynasty.

      • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:Taiwan.
   2. (historical) A province of China (Qing Empire) (1885–1895).
      • 1896, J. D. Clark, Formosa‎^[14], Shanghai: Shanghai Mercury, →OCLC, page 44:

        In 1885 Governor LIU determined to reconstruct Taipei and make it the temporary capital until, the railway having on its way to Taiwan reached the old town of Changhua, in about the middle of Formosa, he should build a city near that place and make it, under the name of Taiwan, the capital of the province of Taiwan.

      • 1898, “Bang-ka, or Mang-ka”, in Johnson's Universal Cyclopædia: A New Edition‎^[15], volume I, New York: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC, page 480, column 2:

        Near Bang-ka is Twa-tu-tia, the great center of the tea-trade of Formosa, and the capital of the province of Taiwan (i. e. Formosa) from 1885 to 1896.

      • 1918, Hosea Ballou Morse, “France and Tongking”, in The International Relations of the Chinese Empire‎^[16], volume II, Longmans, Green, and Co., →OCLC, page 861:

        The Chinese forces holding Formosa numbered about 50,000 men, and its defence was ably conducted by Liu Ming-chüan, then imperial High Commissioner ad hoc afterwards first governor of the newly created province of Taiwan.

      • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:Taiwan.
   3. (historical) A dependency of Japan (1895–1945).
      • 1902, “Appendix”, in The Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Malta, St Helena, Barbados, Cyrpus, the Channel Islands, the British Army & Navy (The British Empire Series)‎^[17], volume V, →OCLC, page 649:

        Taiwan (Formosa) and Hōkotō (the Pescadores) were ceded to Japan upon the close of the Chinese War of 1895. Taiwan has a Governor-General with extreme powers, and is now an integral part of Japan.

      • 1913, Charlotte M. Salwey, “Formosa, the Beautiful (Taiwan)”, in The Island Dependencies of Japan‎^[18], London: Eugène L. Morice, →OCLC, page 39:

        Taiwan is governed by a Governor-General. Since 1895 three Governors have resigned. The present in office is General Count Samata Sakuma.

      • 1938 July 29, “Amoy is Island Key to South China's Strategic Province”, in The Winchester Star‎^[19], volume LVIII, number 1, Winchester, Mass., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 2, column 5:

        Amoy is one of the three Chinese ports closer to the Japanese colony of Taiwan (Formosa) than are any ports in the Japanese Empire proper.

      • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:Taiwan.
   4. A province of Taiwan (Republic of China) (from 1945).
      • 1946 February 16, “China”, in Foreign Commerce Weekly‎^[20], volume XXII, number 7, Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, United States Department of Commerce, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 26, column 2:

        Recent reports from Taiwan (Formosa), although fragmentary, begin to give a picture of economic conditions following the conclusion of the war. Now officially referred to as Taiwan Province, the island's former Japanese administration is being replaced by Chinese officials with little change, at least as yet, in the administrative pattern. Although there is no indication that ideographs will be changed, Chinese readings rather than Japanese will be followed for place names. Taihoku, for example, will be read in our alphabet as Taipei. This city presumably will continue to be the capital of Taiwan.

      • 1957, Chung-cheng (Kai-shek) Chiang, Soviet Russia in China: A Summing-up at Seventy‎^[21], New York: Farrar, Straus and Cudahy, →LCCN, →OCLC, pages 239–240:

        The Chinese Government today, with its program of local self-government in Taiwan, provides a revealing contrast to the Communist totalitarian "democratic dictatorship" on the mainland. Herein lies the foundation for our eventual victory against Communism.

      • 1988 January 25, Fay Willey, Carroll Bogert, Dorinda Elliott, David Newell, “End of a Dynasty and an Era”, in Newsweek‎^[22], volume CXI, number 4, →ISSN, →OCLC, International, page 34, column 3:

        By all accounts, Lee lacks Chiang's charisma. The son of a rice farmer from northern Taiwan, he trained as an agronomist at Cornell University, then served as mayor of Taipei and governor of Taiwan Province, where he won widespread popularity.

      • 2000, Shui-Bian Chen, “From Elected Representative to Administrative Chief”, in David J. Toman, transl., The Son of Taiwan: The Life of Chen Shui-Bian and His Dreams for Taiwan‎^[23], Taiwan Publishing Co., Ltd., →ISBN, →OCLC, page 84:

        In August 1993, I began preparing to run in the first race for mayor of Taipei elected directly by popular vote, to be held in December 1994. At the same time, the positions of mayor of Kaohsiung City and governor of Taiwan Province were also up for direct popular election.

      • 2022 February 28, Yi-ching Chiang, Teng Pei-ju, “Civil groups march in Taipei, demand truth about 228 Incident”, in Focus Taiwan‎^[24], archived from the original on 28 February 2022:

        The participants then marched to several sites where other major incidents had occurred, and they ended at the Executive Yuan building, which was formerly the headquarters of the Taiwan Provincial Government.

      • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:Taiwan.
   5. (disputed) A claimed province of China (People's Republic of China/mainland China) (from 1949). [from mid 20th c.]
      • 1964, 任育地 [Jen Yu-ti], “Seas”, in 中国地理概述 [A Concise Geography of China]‎^[25], Peking: Foreign Languages Press, →OCLC, →OL, pages 42–43:

        The eastern part of Taiwan Province is washed by the Pacific Ocean while the mainland coast borders on the Pohai, the Yellow, the East China and the South China Seas, each with its different depth and water temperature.

      • 1992, Shunwu (周舜武) Zhou, “Overview”, in 中国分省地理 [China Provincial Geography]‎^[26], Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 499:

        China (excluding Taiwan Province) has 381 cities as of the end of 1987, including 3 provincial-level cities, 170 provincially administered cities and 208 township-level cities. In addition there are 1,985 counties (including autonomous counties, banners and autonomous banners) in China.

      • 2011 [1979 January 31], Jimmy Carter, White House Diary‎^[27], →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 286:

        I had my final meeting with Deng Xiaoping. We signed agreements concerning consular offices, trade, science and technology, cultural exchange, and so forth. After discussing the political problems I had in normalization, Zbig asked him, "Did you have political opposition in China?" Everybody listened very carefully when Deng said, "Yes, I had serious opposition in one province in China—Taiwan."

      • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:Taiwan.
4. (historical) Synonym of Tainan, a city of Taiwan, former capital of Taiwan Province.
   • 1862 [1859], John E. Ward, “Proclamation of JOHN E. WARD announcing exchange of ratifications of Treaty”, in Treaties between the United States of America and China, Japan Lewchew and Siam, Acts of Congress, and the Attorney-General's Opinion, with the Decrees and Regulations Issued for the Guidance of U.S. Consular Courts in China‎^[28], Hongkong, →OCLC, page 22:

     The ports of Cháu-chau or Swatau, in the province of Kwangtung, and Taiwan on Formosa in the province of Fuhkien, will be opened to American commerce, and for Americans to reside with their families, on and after the first day of January, 1860.

   • 1877 November 8, “Robert Swinhoe, F.R.S.”, in Nature‎^[29], volume XVII, number 419, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 35, column 2:

     In 1860 Mr. Swinhoe attended Gen. Napier, and afterwards Sir Hope Grant, the Commander-in-Chief, as interpreter, and received a medal for war service. At the end of the same year he was appointed Vice-Consul at Taiwan, Formosa, and in 1865 to the full Consulship.

   • 1885 January 7, “Summary of News”, in North-China Herald and Supreme Court & Consular Gazette‎^[30], volume XXXIV, number 913, Shanghai, →OCLC, page 4, column 2:

     Evidently the French blockade of Formosa is not very effective, or else the Pescadores are not included in the blockaded district. The Daily Press of 31st December states:—We learn by private letter that there have been no blockading ships at Taiwan or at Takao during the last seven days. The blockade is a purely paper one. Troops and treasure are pouring into South Formosa.

   • 1896, J. D. Clark, Formosa‎^[31], Shanghai: Shanghai Mercury, →OCLC, page 44:

     In 1885 Governor LIU determined to reconstruct Taipei and make it the temporary capital until, the railway having on its way to Taiwan reached the old town of Changhua, in about the middle of Formosa, he should build a city near that place and make it, under the name of Taiwan, the capital of the province of Taiwan.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:Taiwan.
5. (astronomy) 2169 Taiwan, a main belt asteroid. [from mid 20th c.]
   • 2005, D. Vokrouhlický et al., “Yarkovsky/YORP chronology of asteroid families”, in Icarus‎^[32], volume 182, number 1, published 2006, →DOI, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 126, column 2:

     For the Massalia family, we only have information on (20) Massalia (pv = 0.21±0.01). Finally, for the Astrid family, we have (1128) Astrid with pv = 0.077±0.010 and (2169) Taiwan with pv = 0.099±0.020. In each of these cases, the values conform to the taxonomic type of the corresponding families.

   • 2019 August 29, “Asteroid 'Taiwan' to come closest to Earth late Thursday: museum”, in Focus Taiwan‎^[33], archived from the original on 10 September 2022, Science & Tech‎^[34]:

     2169 Taiwan, a carbonaceous asteroid from the central region of the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars, will be at its closest to Earth at around 11 p.m. Thursday, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:Taiwan.

Usage notes

• Taiwan and Taiwanese are both widely used as attributives, e.g. Taiwan culture or Taiwanese culture, the Taiwan government or Taiwanese government, Taiwan food or Taiwanese food, etc.

Derived terms

• Taiwanese
• Taiwan field mouse
• Taiwan firecrest
• Taiwan flamecrest
• Taiwan pear
• Taiwan Strait
• Taiwan Straits
• Taiwan studies
• West Taiwan

 

Translations

East Asian country

• Abkhaz: Тайвань (Tʼajvanʲ)
• Afrikaans: Taiwan
• Albanian: Tajvan m, Tajvani m (definite)
• Amharic: ታይዋን (taywan), ታይቫኝ (tayvañ)
• Amis: Taywan
• Antillean Creole: Taywann f
• Arabic: تَايْوَان f (tāywān), تَيْوَان f (taywān)

  Hijazi Arabic: تايوان f (tāywān)

• Armenian: Թայվան (Tʻayvan)
• Assamese: টাইৱান (taiwan)
• Asturian: Taiwán (ast)
• Azerbaijani: Tayvan
• Basque: Taiwan
• Belarusian: Тайва́нь m (Tajvánʹ)
• Bengali: তাইওয়ান (bn) (taiōẇan)
• Breton: Taiwan
• Bulgarian: Тайва́н m (Tajván)
• Bunun: Tai-uan
• Burmese: ထိုင်ဝမ် (htuing-wam)
• Carpathian Rusyn: Тайван m (Tajvan)
• Catalan: Taiwan (ca)
• Cebuano: Taiwan
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 臺灣／台灣／台湾 (toi⁴ waan¹)

  Dungan: Тэван (Tevan)

  Eastern Min: 臺灣／台灣／台湾 (Dài-uăng)

  Hakka: 臺灣／台灣／台湾 (Thòi-vàn)

  Hokkien: 臺灣／台灣／台湾 (Tâi-oân)

  Mandarin: 臺灣／台灣／台湾 (Táiwān)

  Wu: 臺灣／台灣／台湾 (⁶de-ue)

• Chuvash: Тайвань (Tajvanʹ)
• Corsican: Taiwan m
• Crimean Tatar: Tayvan
• Czech: Tchaj-wan (cs) m, Taiwan (cs) m
• Danish: Taiwan n
• Dhivehi: ތައިވާން (taivān̊)
• Dutch: Taiwan (nl) n
• Dzongkha: ཏའི་ཝཱན (ta'i wān)
• Esperanto: Tajvano
• Estonian: Taiwan (et)
• Faroese: Taivan n
• Finnish: Taiwan (fi)
• French: Taïwan (fr) m
• Galician: Taiwán (gl)
• Georgian: ტაივანი (ka) (ṭaivani)
• German: Taiwan (de) n
• Greek: Ταϊβάν (el) f (Taïván)

  Ancient Greek: Θαϊουάν (Thaïouán), Ταϊουανία f (Taïouanía)

• Gujarati: તાઇવાન (tāivān), તાઈવાન (tāīvān)
• Hausa: Taiwan
• Hebrew: טייוואן / טַיְוָן f (tayvan)
• Hindi: ताइवान (hi) m (tāivān), तैवान (hi) m (taivān), टाइवान m (ṭāivān), चीनी गणराज्य (hi) m (cīnī gaṇrājya)
• Hungarian: Tajvan (hu)
• Icelandic: Tævan (is) n
• Ido: Taiwan (io)
• Indonesian: Taiwan
• Interlingua: Taiwan (ia)
• Irish: An Téaváin f
• Italian: Taiwan (it) m
• Japanese: 台湾 (ja) (たいわん, Taiwan), 高砂 (ja) (たかさご, Takasago) (archaic)
• Kalenjin: Taiwan
• Kamba: Taiwan
• Kannada: ತೈವಾನ್ (kn) (taivān)
• Kashmiri: तैवान (taiwān)
• Kashubian: Tajwan m
• Kazakh: Тайуан (Taiuan), Тайвань (kk) (Taivan)
• Khmer: តៃវ៉ាន់ (tayvan)
• Kikuyu: Taiwan
• Korean: 타이완 (ko) (Taiwan), 대만(臺灣) (ko) (Daeman)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: Taywan (ku)

• Kyrgyz: Тайвань (Tayvan)
• Lao: ໄຕ້ຫວັນ (tai wan)
• Latin: Taivania f, Formosa f, Res Publica Sinarum f
• Latvian: Taivāna f
• Lithuanian: Taivanas (lt) m
• Lü: ᦺᦒᦛᦱᧃ (thayv̇aan)
• Luo: Taiwan
• Luxembourgish: Taiwan
• Macedonian: Та́јван m (Tájvan)
• Malay: Taiwan (ms)
• Malayalam: തായ്‌വാൻ (tāy‌vāṉ)
• Maltese: it-Tajwan
• Manchu: ᡨᠠᡳᠸᠠᠨ (taiwan), ᡨᠠᡳ
  ᠸᠠᠨ (tai wan)
• Maori: Taiwana
• Marathi: तायवान (tāyvān), तैवान (taivān)
• Meru: Taiwan
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: Тайвань (Tajvanʹ)

  Mongolian: ᠲᠠᠶᠢᠪᠤᠩ (tayibung)

• Navajo: Táiwáán
• Nepali: ताइवान (tāivān)
• Norman: Taïouan m, Taiwan m
• Northern Sami: Taiwan
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: Taiwan (no) n

  Nynorsk: Taiwan (nn) n

• Occitan: Taiwan
• Odia: ତାଇୱାନ (tāiwāna)
• Paiwan: Taivang
• Pashto: تايوان m (tāywān)
• Persian:

  Dari: تَایْوَان (tāywān)

  Iranian Persian: تایْوان (tâyvân)

• Piedmontese: Taiwan
• Polish: Tajwan (pl) m inan
• Portuguese: Taiwan (pt) m
• Punjabi:

  Gurmukhi: ਤਾਇਵਾਨ m (tāivān)

• Romanian: Taivan n, Taiwan n
• Russian: Тайва́нь (ru) m (Tajvánʹ)
• Samoan: Tailani
• Sanskrit: तैवान (taivāna)
• Santali: ᱛᱟᱭᱣᱟᱱ (tayvan)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: Та̏јва̄н m

  Roman: Tȁjvān (sh) m

• Sicilian: Taiwan m
• Sinhalese: තායිවානය (tāyiwānaya)
• Slovak: Taiwan m
• Slovene: Tájvan (sl) m
• Sorbian:

  Lower Sorbian: Taiwan m

  Upper Sorbian: Taiwan m

• Spanish: Taiwán (es)
• Swahili: Taiwani (sw)
• Swedish: Taiwan (sv) n
• Tagalog: Taywan
• Tajik: Тайван (tg) (Tayvan)
• Tamil: தைவான் (taivāṉ)
• Tatar: Тайвань (Taywan’)
• Telugu: తైవాన్ (te) (taivān)
• Thai: ไต้หวัน (th) (dtâi-wǎn)
• Tibetan: ཐའེ་ཝན (tha'e wan)
• Tigrinya: ታይዋን (taywan)
• Tok Pisin: Taiwan
• Turkish: Tayvan (tr)
• Turkmen: Taýwan
• Udmurt: Тайвань (Tajvań)
• Ukrainian: Тайва́нь m (Tajvánʹ), Тайва́н m (Tajván)
• Urdu: تائِیوان m (tāīvān)
• Uyghur: تەيۋەن (teywen)
• Uzbek: Tayvan (uz)
• Vietnamese: Đài Loan (vi) (臺灣)
• Volapük: Tayvän
• Welsh: Taiwan
• West Frisian: Taiwan (fy) n
• Western Panjabi: تائیوان (tā'īvān)
• Yiddish: טײַוואַן (tayvan)
• Yoruba: Taiwani
• Zhuang: Daizvanh

East Asian island

• Afrikaans: Taiwan
• Asturian: Taiwán (ast)
• Belarusian: Тайва́нь m (Tajvánʹ), Фармо́за f (Farmóza)
• Bulgarian: Тайва́н m (Tajván), Формо́за f (Formóza)
• Catalan: Taiwan (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 臺灣／台灣／台湾 (toi⁴ waan¹), 寶島／宝岛 (bou² dou²), 東番／东番

  Dungan: Тэван (Tevan)

  Eastern Min: 臺灣／台灣／台湾 (Dài-uăng)

  Hakka: 臺灣／台灣／台湾 (Thòi-vàn)

  Hokkien: 臺灣／台灣／台湾 (Tâi-oân), 寶島／宝岛 (zh-min-nan) (Pó-tó)

  Mandarin: 臺灣／台灣／台湾 (Táiwān), 寶島／宝岛 (zh) (Bǎodǎo), 東番／东番, 福爾摩沙／福尔摩沙 (zh) (Fú'ěrmóshā)

  Wu: 臺灣／台灣／台湾 (⁶de-ue)

• Czech: Tchaj-wan (cs) m, Taiwan (cs) m
• Dutch: Formosa (nl) n
• Dzongkha: ཏའི་ཝཱན་ (ta'i wān)
• Esperanto: Formozo
• Finnish: Formosa (fi)
• French: Formose (fr) f
• German: Formosa (de) n
• Hindi: ताइवान (hi) m (tāivān), तैवान (hi) m (taivān), टाइवान m (ṭāivān)
• Hungarian: Tajvan (hu)
• Irish: Formósa m
• Japanese: 台湾 (ja) (たいわん, Taiwan), 高砂 (ja) (たかさご, Takasago) (archaic), フォルモサ (Forumosa)
• Khmer: តៃវ៉ាន់ (tayvan)
• Korean: 타이완 (ko) (Taiwan), 대만(臺灣) (ko) (Daeman), 포르모자 (Poreumoja)
• Latin: Formosa f, Taivania
• Latvian: Taivāna f
• Lithuanian: Taivanas (lt) m
• Macedonian: Та́јван m (Tájvan), Формо́за f (Formóza)
• Manchu: ᡨᠠᡳᠸᠠᠨ (taiwan)
• Maori: Taiwana
• Marathi: फोर्मोजा (phormojā)
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: Тайвань (Tajvanʹ)

  Mongolian: ᠲᠠᠶᠢᠪᠤᠩ (tayibung)

• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: Taiwan (no) n

  Nynorsk: Taiwan (nn) n

• Paiwan: Taivang
• Pashto: تايوان m (tāywān)
• Persian:

  Dari: تَایْوَان (tāywān)

  Iranian Persian: تایْوان (tâyvân)

• Polish: Tajwan (pl) m, Formoza (pl) f
• Portuguese: Formosa (pt) f, Taiwan (pt) m, Ilha Formosa f
• Romanian: Taivan n, Taiwan n, Formosa f
• Russian: Тайва́нь (ru) m (Tajvánʹ), Формо́за (ru) f (Formóza)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: Та̏јва̄н m

  Roman: Tȁjvān (sh) m

• Sinhalese: තායිවානය (tāyiwānaya)
• Slovak: Taiwan m
• Slovene: Tájvan (sl) m
• Swedish: Taiwan (sv) n, Formosa (sv)
• Tagalog: Taiwan, Pormosa
• Tajik: Тайван (tg) (Tayvan)
• Thai: ไต้หวัน (th) (dtâi-wǎn)
• Turkish: Tayvan (tr), Formoza
• Ukrainian: Тайва́нь m (Tajvánʹ), Тайва́н m (Tajván), Формо́за f (Formóza)
• Urdu: تائِیوان m (tāīvān)
• Vietnamese: Đài Loan (vi) (臺灣)

See also

• Countries of the world

References

• “Taiwan”, in Collins English Dictionary.
• Taiwan, T'ai-wan, T'aiwan, Tai-wan at the Google Books Ngram Viewer.
• “Taiwan, pn.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “Taiwan”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• “Taiwan”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “Taiwan” in TheFreeDictionary.com, Huntingdon Valley, Pa.: Farlex, Inc., 2003–2024.

Further reading

• Taiwan on Wikivoyage.Wikivoyage

Anagrams

• atwain

Afrikaans

Etymology

Inherited from Dutch Taiwan, ultimately from Dutch Tayouan, from possibly Siraya.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: Tai‧wan

Proper noun

Taiwan

1. Taiwan, Republic of China (a country in East Asia; capital: Taipei)
2. Taiwan (an island in East Asia)

   Synonym: Formosa

Derived terms

• Taiwannees
• Taiwanner
• Taiwans

Catalan

Etymology

From possibly either Spanish Taiwán or English Taiwan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [təjˈwan]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [tajˈwan]

• Audio (Valencia):

  (file)

Proper noun

Taiwan m

1. Taiwan

Derived terms

• estret de Taiwan
• taiwanès

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈtajvan]

Proper noun

Taiwan m inan (related adjective taiwanský, demonym Taiwanec)

1. Alternative form of Tchaj-wan

Declension

Declension of Taiwan (sg-only hard masculine inanimate)

	singular
nominative	Taiwan
genitive	Taiwanu
dative	Taiwanu
accusative	Taiwan
vocative	Taiwane
locative	Taiwaně, Taiwanu
instrumental	Taiwanem

Danish

Proper noun

Taiwan

1. Taiwan

Synonyms

• Republikken Kina

Related terms

• taiwaner
• taiwansk

Dutch

Fort Zeelandia (circa 1670), on the former sandbank of "Taiwan"/"Taywan" (now silted up and connected to the island as modern-day Anping District, Tainan)

Alternative forms

• Taywan, Tayouan, Tayoan, Taioan, Thaiwan, Teyouvan, Teyoan, Teijoan (obsolete, historical)

Etymology

The modern form "Taiwan" may possibly be from English Taiwan, or way older reminiscent of older forms like Tayouan, from possibly Siraya.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Taiwan n

1. Taiwan

Finnish

Etymology

From English Taiwan, see it for more.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɑi̯wɑn/, [ˈt̪ɑ̝i̯wɑ̝n]
• Rhymes: -ɑiwɑn
• Hyphenation^(key): Tai‧wan

Proper noun

Taiwan

1. Taiwan

Declension

Inflection of Taiwan (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative		Taiwan	—
genitive		Taiwanin	—
partitive		Taiwania	—
illative		Taiwaniin	—
		singular	plural
nominative		Taiwan	—
accusative	nom.	Taiwan	—
	gen.	Taiwanin
genitive		Taiwanin	—
partitive		Taiwania	—
inessive		Taiwanissa	—
elative		Taiwanista	—
illative		Taiwaniin	—
adessive		Taiwanilla	—
ablative		Taiwanilta	—
allative		Taiwanille	—
essive		Taiwanina	—
translative		Taiwaniksi	—
abessive		Taiwanitta	—
instructive		—	—
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of Taiwan (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Taiwanini — accusative nom. Taiwanini — gen. Taiwanini genitive Taiwanini — partitive Taiwaniani — inessive Taiwanissani — elative Taiwanistani — illative Taiwaniini — adessive Taiwanillani — ablative Taiwaniltani — allative Taiwanilleni — essive Taiwaninani — translative Taiwanikseni — abessive Taiwanittani — instructive — — comitative — — second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Taiwanisi — accusative nom. Taiwanisi — gen. Taiwanisi genitive Taiwanisi — partitive Taiwaniasi — inessive Taiwanissasi — elative Taiwanistasi — illative Taiwaniisi — adessive Taiwanillasi — ablative Taiwaniltasi — allative Taiwanillesi — essive Taiwaninasi — translative Taiwaniksesi — abessive Taiwanittasi — instructive — — comitative — — first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Taiwanimme — accusative nom. Taiwanimme — gen. Taiwanimme genitive Taiwanimme — partitive Taiwaniamme — inessive Taiwanissamme — elative Taiwanistamme — illative Taiwaniimme — adessive Taiwanillamme — ablative Taiwaniltamme — allative Taiwanillemme — essive Taiwaninamme — translative Taiwaniksemme — abessive Taiwanittamme — instructive — — comitative — — second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Taiwaninne — accusative nom. Taiwaninne — gen. Taiwaninne genitive Taiwaninne — partitive Taiwanianne — inessive Taiwanissanne — elative Taiwanistanne — illative Taiwaniinne — adessive Taiwanillanne — ablative Taiwaniltanne — allative Taiwanillenne — essive Taiwaninanne — translative Taiwaniksenne — abessive Taiwanittanne — instructive — — comitative — — third-person possessor singular plural nominative Taiwaninsa — accusative nom. Taiwaninsa — gen. Taiwaninsa genitive Taiwaninsa — partitive Taiwaniaan Taiwaniansa — inessive Taiwanissaan Taiwanissansa — elative Taiwanistaan Taiwanistansa — illative Taiwaniinsa — adessive Taiwanillaan Taiwanillansa — ablative Taiwaniltaan Taiwaniltansa — allative Taiwanilleen Taiwanillensa — essive Taiwaninaan Taiwaninansa — translative Taiwanikseen Taiwaniksensa — abessive Taiwanittaan Taiwanittansa — instructive — — comitative — —

Derived terms

• taiwanilainen

 

compounds

• taiwaninmakaki

 

German

Fort Zeelandia (circa 1669), on the former sandbank of "Taiwan"/"Teowan" (now silted up and connected to the island as modern-day Anping District, Tainan)

Alternative forms

• Teowan (obsolete, historical)

Etymology

The modern form "Taiwan" may possibly be from English Taiwan, or way older reminiscent of older forms like Teowan, from possibly Dutch Tayouan/Teyouvan/Teyoan/Taywan. Compare French Taïwan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /taɪ̯ˈvaːn/, (also) /ˈtaɪ̯ˌvaːn/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aːn

Noun

Taiwan n (proper noun, genitive Taiwans or (optionally with an article) Taiwan)

1. Taiwan (an island and partly-recognized country in East Asia)

Synonyms

• (island): Formosa
• (state): Republik China

Derived terms

• Taiwaner, Taiwanese, taiwanesisch, taiwanisch

Further reading

• “Taiwan” in Duden online
• “Taiwan” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Indonesian

Etymology

The modern form may possibly be from English Taiwan or way older form reminiscent of Dutch Tayouan, from possibly Siraya. Recorded historically in Dutch as Tayouan (and other variants), and in Hokkien 大員／大员 (Tāi-oân) (and other variants). The term initially referred to a sandbank peninsula that later silted up now wholly part of the island in the area of modern-day Anping District, Tainan, and eventually became the name of the entire island.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtai̯.wan/

Proper noun

Taiwan

1. Taiwan
   1. Common name for a country in East Asia. Official name: Republic of China. Its capital is Taipei. [from 20th c.]

      Synonym: Republik Tiongkok

   2. A large island between the Taiwan Strait and Philippine Sea, also known as Formosa.
   3. An administrative division centered on the island of Taiwan.
      1. (historical) An administrative division of the Qing (Ching) dynasty (Manchu).
         1. (historical) A prefecture of Fujian.
         2. (historical) A province. [from late 19th c.]
      2. (historical) A colony of Japan. [from late 19th c.]
      3. A province of the Republic of China. [from 20th c.]
      4. A claimed province of the People's Republic of China (mainland China). [from mid 20th c.]
   4. (historical) Tainan (major city in southern Taiwan; former capital city).
   5. (astronomy) 2169 Taiwan, a main belt asteroid. [from mid 20th c.]

See also

• (countries of Asia) negara-negara di Asia; Afganistan, Arab Saudi, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Filipina, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Irak, Iran, Israel, Jepang, Kamboja, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Korea Selatan, Korea Utara, Kuwait, Laos, Libanon, Maladewa, Malaysia, Mesir, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Palestina, Qatar, Rusia, Singapura, Siprus, Sri Lanka, Suriah, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor Leste, Tiongkok, Turki, Turkmenistan, Uni Emirat Arab, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yaman, Yordania

Interlingua

Proper noun

Taiwan

1. Taiwan

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tajˈwan/
• Rhymes: -an
• Hyphenation: Tai‧wàn

Proper noun

Taiwan m

1. Taiwan

Derived terms

• taiwanese

See also

• Formosa

Marshallese

Alternative forms

• Taewan

Etymology

Borrowed from English Taiwan.

Pronunciation

• (phonetic) IPA^(key): [tˠɑːiwɑnʲ], (enunciated) [tˠɑ iwɑnʲ]
• (phonemic) IPA^(key): /tˠæɰjiwænʲ/
• Bender phonemes: {tahyiwan}

Derived terms

• ri-Taiwan

Proper noun

Taiwan

1. Taiwan.

References

• Marshallese–English Online Dictionary

Norwegian Bokmål

Proper noun

Taiwan

1. Taiwan

Synonyms

• Republikken Kina

Related terms

• taiwaner
• taiwansk

Norwegian Nynorsk

Proper noun

Taiwan

1. Taiwan

Synonyms

• Republikken Kina

Related terms

• taiwanar
• taiwansk

Orizaba Nahuatl

Alternative forms

• Taihuan

Proper noun

Taiwan

1. Taiwan (a country in Asia)

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• Taiuã

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English Taiwan.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /tajˈwɐ̃/ [taɪ̯ˈwɐ̃]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /tajˈwan/

• Hyphenation: Tai‧wan

Proper noun

Taiwan m

1. Taiwan, Republic of China (a country in East Asia)

   Synonyms: Formosa, República da China

2. Taiwan, Formosa (the main island of the Republic of China)

   Synonyms: Formosa, Ilha Formosa

Derived terms

• taiwanês

Slovak

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈtaiʋan]

Proper noun

Taiwan m inan (related adjective taiwanský, demonym Taiwančan or Taiwanec, female demonym Taiwančanka or Taiwanka)

1. Taiwan (a country in East Asia)

Declension

Declension of Taiwan

	singulare tantum
nominative	Taiwan
genitive	Taiwanu
dative	Taiwane
accusative	Taiwan
locative	Taiwane
instrumental	Taiwanom

Further reading

• “Taiwan”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2024

Swedish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tajˈvan/, /tajˈwan/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -an
• Hyphenation: Tai‧wan

Proper noun

Taiwan n (genitive Taiwans)

1. Taiwan, Republic of China (a country in East Asia)

   Synonym: Republiken Kina

2. Taiwan (an island in Asia)

   Synonym: Formosa

Related terms

• taiwanes
• taiwanesisk
• taiwanesiska

References

• Taiwan in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• Svensk MeSH

Welsh

Proper noun

Taiwan m

1. Taiwan (a country in Asia)
2. Taiwan (an island in Asia)

   Synonym: Fformosa

Coordinate terms

• (countries of Asia) gwledydd Asia; Affganistan, Armenia, Aserbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhwtan, Brwnei, Cambodia, Casachstan, Catar, Coweit, Cirgistan, Cyprus, De Corea, Dwyrain Timor, yr Emiradau Arabaidd Unedig, Fietnam, Georgia, Iemen, India, Indonesia, Irac, Iran, Israel, Japan, Gogledd Corea, Gwlad Tai, Gwlad yr Iorddonen, Laos, Libanus, Maleisia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Pacistan, Palesteina, y Philipinau, Rwsia, Sawdi Arabia, Singapôr, Sri Lanca, Syria, Taiwan, Tajicistan, Tsieina, Twrci, Tyrcmenistan, Wsbecistan