僮族 (Zhuàngzú): old written form of 壮族 (Zhuang…

Meanings

1 old written form of 壮族 (Zhuang ethnic group, China's largest ethnic minority, mainly in Guangxi)

Characters

僮

Zhuàng

Zhuang (ethnonym, old form)

族

zú

ethnic group; clan

Examples

1965年“僮族”正式改写为“壮族”。

Yī jiǔ liù wǔ nián "Zhuàngzú" zhèngshì gǎixiě wéi "Zhuàngzú".

In 1965 the written form 僮族 was officially changed to 壮族.

广西旧称僮族自治区，后改为壮族自治区。

Guǎngxī jiùchēng Zhuàngzú zìzhìqū, hòu gǎiwéi Zhuàngzú zìzhìqū.

Guangxi was formerly called the Zhuang (僮) Autonomous Region, later rewritten as 壮族 Autonomous Region.

Tips

history

Until 1965, the Zhuang ethnic group was written 僮族. Premier Zhou Enlai personally proposed replacing 僮 (which had a derogatory feel from its association with 'servant boy') with 壮 ('strong, robust') as a sign of respect. Since then 壮族 has been the official form, but 僮族 still appears in pre-1965 documents.

mistakes

When 僮 refers to the ethnic group, it is read Zhuàng (4th tone), not tóng. The reading tóng applies only when 僮 means 'servant boy' (a usage now mostly archaic, replaced by 童).