Chan
proper nounproper nounproper nounnounproper nounproper nouncommon in dialogue
- United States//tʃæn//
A Chinese surname from Cantonese.
proper noun
- 1
A Chinese surname from Cantonese.
Etymology
Borrowed from Cantonese 陳 /陈 (can⁴).
proper noun
- 1
A Chinese surname from Hokkien.
Etymology
Borrowed from Hokkien 曾 (Chan).
proper noun
- 1
Variant of ZhanAlternative form of Zhan, A Chinese surname from Mandarin.
Etymology
From the Wade–Giles romanization Chan¹ of Mandarin 詹 (Zhān).
noun
- 1
A major Chinese school of Mahayana Buddhism characterized by sudden enlightenment achieved by indirect means, developed in Japan as Zen.
It is possible that highly calligraphic painting styles, including the extreme forms of “flung-ink,” began at this time, but probably not under Ch’an Buddhist influence, which figured in the religious life of the dynasty.
Etymology
Borrowed from the pinyin romanization of the Mandarin pronunciation of Chinese 禪 /禅 (Chán), a development and clipping of Middle Chinese 禪那 (MC dzyen na), a transcription of Sanskrit ध्यान (dhyāna, literally “meditation”). Doublet of dhyana and Zen.
proper noun
- 1
A surname from Khmer.
Etymology
From Khmer ចន្ទ (can).
proper noun
- 1
Variant of Chanambam surname of Meitei originAlternative form of Chanambam surname of Meitei origin
- 2
Variant of Chandam surname of Meitei originAlternative form of Chandam surname of Meitei origin
Etymology
Borrowed from Manipuri ꯆꯥꯟ (cān).
Forms
- plural
- Chans