World Rivers Day | Why is the Yangtze River called a "Jiang" and the Yellow River called a "He"? You will learn a lot after reading this!

Jiang and He are common place names and are names for water bodies. So why is the Yangtze River called "Jiang" and the Yellow River called "He"? What is the difference between "Jiang" and "He"?

From the perspective of modern people, it seems that the Yellow River refers to a yellow river and the Yangtze River refers to a long river. However, from the etymology point of view, the actual situation is just the opposite.

The Book of Songs, which was completed in the pre-Qin period, has the following lines: "I cut down the sandalwood and placed it on the bank of the river. The river water becomes clear and ripples appear." "The Han River is so wide that it cannot be crossed by a swim. The Yangtze River is so long that it cannot be measured by the distance." More than two thousand years ago, "Jiang" referred specifically to the Yangtze River and "He" referred specifically to the Yellow River.

Most rivers are called "Shui" (water), such as Weishui, Huaishui, Jishui, etc. As time goes by, "Jiang" (river) and "He" (river) gradually become common characters in the names of rivers, and the names have become what we know today as the Yangtze River and the Yellow River.

There is no precise distinction between Jiang and He. It was probably originally due to the language habits of the region or tribe. Although there are many exceptions, there are generally four differences between the two:

Region: South River North River

Most of the rivers in southern my country are called "Jiang", for example: Yangtze River, Pearl River, Qiantang River, Minjiang River, Nujiang River, Jinsha River, Lancang River, Yarlung Zangbo River, Lijiang River, Lijiang River, Jiulong River, etc.

Most of the rivers in the north are called "He", for example: the Yellow River, Huai River, Wei River, Jing River, Luo River, Fen River, Qing River, Liao River, Yinma River, Qin River, Qaidam River, Tarim River, etc.

The exceptions are waterways such as the Songhua River and the Heilongjiang River, which are called rivers in the north.

Scale: Large and small rivers

The Yangtze River and the Yellow River are both large waterways in my country, and a river is not necessarily larger than a river. However, with the evolution of history, the two words have developed semantic differences, and later generations will also distinguish between "jiang" and "he" according to the size of the river when naming rivers.

For example, the Nenjiang River, Yalu River, Heilongjiang River, Songhua River, and Wusuli River in the north are also called "rivers" even though they are in the north. What these "rivers" have in common is that they are relatively large in length, flow, and basin size.

Flow direction: Inland river and outer river

There is also a saying that "a river flows into the inland sea, and a river flows into the open sea or the ocean."

For example: the Yellow River flows into the Bohai Sea; the Liao River flows into the Bohai Sea; the Tarim River flows into Lop Nur; the Yangtze River flows into the East China Sea; the Pearl River flows into the South China Sea, etc.

In fact, the names of rivers and lakes have existed since ancient times. At that time, there was no geographical distinction between inland and open seas. The Yellow River also flowed into the Yellow Sea in ancient times, but the Yellow Sea is an open sea, so this statement is not entirely accurate.

The rivers on the islands of my country are called rivers or streams no matter where they flow into, for example: Wanquan River, Zhuoshui River, Dajia River, etc.

Foreign countries: All are called rivers

In foreign countries, rivers are generally called rivers, regardless of their length, whether they flow into an inland sea, a lake, an open sea, or an ocean. For example: the Nile River, the Amazon River, the Mississippi River, the Lena River, the Yenisei River, the Ob River, the St. Lawrence River, the La Plata River... Even if they flow into the ocean, they are still called rivers.

In foreign countries, very few rivers are called Jiang. Even if there are, they are related to my country, such as Tumen River, Wusuli River, Nujiang River... Among foreign rivers, only the rivers on the Korean Peninsula are called Jiang, because Korea has had close relations with China since ancient times.

Finally, I would like to share with you my country’s knowledge about water, so that you can appreciate the beauty of Chinese:

A small puddle is called a wadi, a large puddle is called a pond.

A small and deep pond is called a pool, a large and deep abyss is called an abyss.

A wide and shallow pond is called a pond, a wide and deep lake is called a lake.

A lake connected to another lake is called a pond, and a pond connected to another pond is called a ze.

The boundary between mountains and water is called a "ya", and the water between two mountains is called a "jian".

A place with one side facing water is called a beach, and a place with two sides facing water is called a bay.

The area surrounded by water on three sides is called an island, and the area surrounded by water on four sides is called a chau.

Artificial excavation is called a canal, and natural formation is called a stream.

The confluence of streams is called a river, and the confluence of large rivers is called a river.

A fast-flowing water is called turbulence, a slow-flowing water is called stagnation.

The surging of the water surface is called "dang", and the slight movement of the water surface is called "yang".

A small wave is called "wave" and a big wave is called "ripple".