English word origin

Etymology of Tien

Borrowed from Mandarin 田 (tián).

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary 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 1

Original entry ↗

name

A surname from Mandarin.

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

Borrowed from Mandarin 田 (tián).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Borrowed-form mention田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": "cmn",
        "3": "田"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Mandarin 田 (tián)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "田",
      "田#Mandarin"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "A surname from Mandarin."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "14efde49bece193de8d45abf71400113f5ba124020c64e9940cb77a281fdd207",
      "rawRecordSha256": "72240657742d07849e8fb85bdeb76ad8340146ce94874f1cf90535b9ab78833f",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 6588087
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

name

Alternative form of Tian: Heaven, simultaneously conceived as the Heavens, Nature, and an anthropomorphic supreme God.

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

Borrowed from Mandarin 天 (tiān).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Borrowed-form mention天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": "cmn",
        "3": "天"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Mandarin 天 (tiān)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "天",
      "天#Mandarin"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative form of Tian: Heaven, simultaneously conceived as the Heavens, Nature, and an anthropomorphic supreme God."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Chinese",
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ],
      "recordId": "3ff1db13f7951bd0f2643ea6bbca34686ac640125ebcfb6ae714148bd6267f1b",
      "rawRecordSha256": "fc2686c842c2076c67ff4f9c9bce01ad41544a47524e466c327943f6857a0235",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 6588088
    }
  ],
  "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 Tien →

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-VGllbg