English word origin

Etymology of Lin

From Chinese: compare Mandarin 林 (lín), Gan 林 (lin⁴), Wu 林, Xiang 林 (lin²). 林 itself is composed of a reduplication of 木 (“wood, tree”). Literally, “forest”.

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

name

A surname from Mandarin · A surname from Gan · A surname from Wu · A surname from Xiang

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Chinese: compare Mandarin 林 (lín), Gan 林 (lin⁴), Wu 林, Xiang 林 (lin²). 林 itself is composed of a reduplication of 木 (“wood, tree”). Literally, “forest”.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mention林cmn

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "zh",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Chinese"
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cmn",
        "3": "林"
      },
      "expansion": "Mandarin 林 (lín)"
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gan",
        "3": "林"
      },
      "expansion": "Gan 林 (lin⁴)"
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "wuu",
        "3": "林"
      },
      "expansion": "Wu 林"
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "hsn",
        "3": "林"
      },
      "expansion": "Xiang 林 (lin²)"
    },
    {
      "name": "zh-m",
      "args": {
        "1": "林",
        "tr": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "林"
    },
    {
      "name": "yesno",
      "args": {
        "1": "",
        "2": "l",
        "3": "L"
      },
      "expansion": "L"
    },
    {
      "name": "m-g",
      "args": {
        "1": "forest"
      },
      "expansion": "“forest”"
    },
    {
      "name": "lit",
      "args": {
        "1": "forest"
      },
      "expansion": "Literally, “forest”"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "林",
      "林#Mandarin"
    ],
    [
      "林",
      "林#Gan"
    ],
    [
      "林",
      "林#Wu"
    ],
    [
      "林",
      "林#Xiang"
    ],
    [
      "林",
      "林#Chinese"
    ],
    [
      "木",
      "木#Chinese"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "A surname from Mandarin",
        "A surname from Gan",
        "A surname from Wu",
        "A surname from Xiang"
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "728145179cb24cccd092ac95c2d2afc2e457b3c2d0c8823bfc56d1a06beb0a1a",
      "rawRecordSha256": "2dc14721ab99ad6af2121c55c7f677c06e35e9a2c9f1bc64ccd41f965d82a347",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 508623
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

name

A county of Lüliang, Shanxi, China.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Mandarin 臨／临 (Lín).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "interproject-box",
      "args": {
        "logo": "Commons-logo.svg",
        "logolink": "commons:Category:Lin County",
        "intro": "Wikimedia Commons has media about",
        "noitalic": "",
        "link": "Lin County"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "commonscat",
      "args": {
        "1": "Lin County"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cmn",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Mandarin"
    },
    {
      "name": "zh-l",
      "args": {
        "1": "臨",
        "tr": "Lín"
      },
      "expansion": "臨／临 (Lín)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "臨",
      "臨#Chinese"
    ],
    [
      "临",
      "临#Chinese"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "A county of Lüliang, Shanxi, China."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "53e3c2a97b6a886dcebc73da4599f5dd3e0a3080833a37d9d023fd9b2597e3d9",
      "rawRecordSha256": "99ece0af0166733badabbf977a72093a91259d5bbcb48807f01c0ca49e04ee08",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 508624
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for Lin →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-TGlu