暹 (xiān): (classical) sunrise

Meanings

1 (classical) sunrise
2 Siam (historical name for Thailand, in 暹罗)

Characters

暹

xiān

sunrise (classical); Siam (historical)

Examples

暹罗是泰国的旧称。

Xiānluó shì Tàiguó de jiù chēng.

Siam is the old name for Thailand.

暹罗猫原产于东南亚地区。

Xiānluó māo yuánchǎn yú Dōngnányà dìqū.

The Siamese cat originates from Southeast Asia.

Tips

culture

暹 is a rare classical character encountered almost exclusively in the compound 暹罗 (Xiānluó), the historical Chinese name for the Kingdom of Siam — modern-day Thailand. Thailand officially changed its name in 1939. The word 暹罗猫 (Siamese cat) is still in common use today.