Vietnam: What's in a Name? | Asia Society Skip to main content
  • Back to asiasociety.org
  • Professional Development
    • Global Ed Explorer
    • Online Courses
    • Training and Consulting Services
  • Educator Resources
    • Teaching for Global Understanding
    • Improve Your Chinese Language Teaching
    • Career and Technical Education
    • CTE Toolkit
  • Our Ideas
    • Publications
    • Recent Articles
    • What is Global Competence?
  • Asia Society at Home
    • Asia Society Kids Booklists
    • Cooking with STEAM
    • At-Home Adventures Through Asia
    • Global Learning
    • Teaching Resources Hub
  • Education For Equity
    • Discussion Series: Teaching Truth to Power
    • Addressing Racism Through Global Competence
    • Staff Picks
    • #OwnVoices Virtual Reading Room
    • Raising Global Citizens
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Where We Work
    • Our Initiatives
    • Results and Opportunities
    • News and Events
leo icon Center for Global Education
Search
asiasociety.org Connect
Center for Global Education
Search
  • Professional Development
    • Global Ed Explorer
    • Online Courses
    • Training and Consulting Services
  • Educator Resources
    • Teaching for Global Understanding
    • Improve Your Chinese Language Teaching
    • Career and Technical Education
    • CTE Toolkit
  • Our Ideas
    • Publications
    • Recent Articles
    • What is Global Competence?
  • Asia Society at Home
    • Asia Society Kids Booklists
    • Cooking with STEAM
    • At-Home Adventures Through Asia
    • Global Learning
    • Teaching Resources Hub
  • Education For Equity
    • Discussion Series: Teaching Truth to Power
    • Addressing Racism Through Global Competence
    • Staff Picks
    • #OwnVoices Virtual Reading Room
    • Raising Global Citizens
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Where We Work
    • Our Initiatives
    • Results and Opportunities
    • News and Events

Vietnam: What's in a Name?

Halong Bay, Vietnam (cranrob/flickr)

Viet is an ethnic term, of unknown linguistic origin, that dates from well before the common era. In its Chinese form it could mean either "beyond," i.e., the peoples beyond the boundary (outsiders), or "hatchet," perhaps referring to a farm implement common to the region. Nam is a Chinese word meaning "south." The early Chinese histories refer to a kingdom called Nam Viet, the southernmost of Viets; there were also eastern Viets and several other Viets.

After the Chinese conquest of the Viets in 111 BCE, various Chinese provincial names were used—the best known of which was Annam, meaning "pacified south." The term Viet was never used when the land was under Chinese administration, but was often chosen during periods of independence. The 11th century Dai Viet (Great Viet)—preceded by the 10th century Dai Co Viet—is the most important example.

The term tonkin dates from 1428, after the creation of the Lê dynasty. Tonkin simply means "eastern capital," and named not a region, but a city (roughly present-day Hanoi).

The term Vietnam dates from the early 19th century, when the Nguyen dynasty was founded. The Vietnamese government of this time was on very close terms with China, and the name was probably a compound derived from Dai Viet and Annam.

Like the Chinese before them, modern colonial powers also avoided the term Viet. Cochin China was used by the Portuguese to refer to the southern third of modern Vietnam, probably in order to distinguish it from the Cochin in India. The French kept this term for the south, adding Annam for the middle region, and Tonkin for the northern third. Thus, the term Viet today retains strong nationalistic, anti-foreign implications for its own people.

Background Reading on Asia

  • From Closing the Talent Gap report. (McKinsey & Company)
    report

    New Strategies Needed for Teacher Recruitment

    Every teacher in the best school systems in the world graduated at the top of the class. Not so in the United States.
  • A child with blocks spelling LEARN. (marsbars/istockphoto)
    report
     /  Global Cities Education Network

    What Can America Learn?

    Students in many countries now out-rank American students academically. Top-performing nations sound off on reforms that worked.
  • Students in Singapore (ssedro/flickr)
    Global Cities Education Network

    Singapore's Global Schools for a Global Society

    It is the most globalized place on earth. And they built an education system to match.
  • Students in England (spiraltri3e/flickr)
    Global Cities Education Network

    England: How to Sustain A High-Performing School System

    Their plan worked. Achievement was on the rise--then it hit a plateau. Now what?
  • A diverse student body in Singapore. (ssedro/Creative Commons)
    Global Cities Education Network

    How Singapore Developed a High-Quality Teacher Workforce

    See how one country dreamed, designed, and then delivered a world-class teaching force.
  • Microfinance programs offer financial services to help start small businesses.

    Microfinance: Seeds of Change

    Microfinance enables people to escape a cycle of poverty by giving them loans to start a trade or business and savings accounts to accrue interest.
  • Royal Thai dancers. (kanaka/flickr)
    article

    Women in Southeast Asia

    Southeast Asia women enjoyed relatively favorable position compared to neighboring states. Learn why.
  • Halong Bay, Vietnam (cranrob/flickr)
    article

    Vietnam: What's in a Name?

    Vietnam had many names--and identities--over the centuries.
  • Tale of Kiêu
    article

    Tale of Kiêu

    A classic story known by all Vietnamese.
  • Vietnam (HKmPUA/flickr)

    Vietnam

    A short essay on Vietnam's geopolitical history, from pre-civilization times to the 21th century.

Pagination

  • Current page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Next page Next ›
  • Last page Last »

Related Content

  • article

    Vietnam: What's in a Name?

    Vietnam had many names--and identities--over the centuries.
  • article

    Tale of Kiêu

    A classic story known by all Vietnamese.
  • Vietnam

    A short essay on Vietnam's geopolitical history, from pre-civilization times to the 21th century.
  • resource

    Diversity and Unity

    A look at ethnicity, gender, family, religious beliefs, food, and fashion in Islamic Southeast Asia.
  • Asian Americans Then and Now

    A look at the long history of Asian Americans and its role in shaping American identity.

Navigating Shared Futures

Visit Us

  • Hong Kong
  • New York
  • Texas

Global Network

  • Australia
  • India
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Northern California
  • Philippines
  • Southern California
  • Switzerland
  • Washington, DC

Resources

  • Arts
  • Asia Blog
  • ChinaFile
  • Current Affairs
  • Education
  • For Kids
  • Policy
  • Video

Shop

  • AsiaStore

Initiatives

  • Arts & Museum Summit
  • Asia 21 Young Leaders
  • Asia Arts Game Changer Awards
  • Asia Game Changer Awards
  • Asia Society Museum: The Asia Arts & Museum Network
  • Asia Society Policy Institute
  • Center for Global Education
  • Center on U.S.-China Relations
  • China Learning Initiatives
  • Coal + Ice
  • Creative Voices of Muslim Asia
  • Global Cities Education Network
  • Global Learning Beyond School
  • Global Talent Initiatives
  • Int'l Studies Schools Network
  • U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit
  • U.S.-China Dialogue
  • U.S.-China Museum Summit

About Asia Society

  • Mission & History
  • Our People
  • Become a Member
  • Career Opportunities
  • Corporate Involvement

Connect

  • Email Signup
  • For the Media

©2021 Asia Society | Privacy Statement | Accessibility | About AsiaSociety.org | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap | Contact

Asia Society takes no institutional position on policy issues and has no affiliation with any government.
The views expressed by Asia Society staff, fellows, experts, report authors, program speakers, board members, and other affiliates are solely their own. Learn more.

 

 

  • Visit Us
  • Hong Kong
  • New York
  • Texas
  • Global Network
  • Australia
  • India
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Northern California
  • Philippines
  • Southern California
  • Switzerland
  • Washington, DC