English word origin

Etymology of Xiao

From the Hanyu Pinyin romanization of Mandarin for 肖 (Xiāo) and 蕭／萧 (Xiāo).

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.

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

From the Hanyu Pinyin romanization of Mandarin for 肖 (Xiāo) and 蕭／萧 (Xiāo).

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-pinyin",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Hanyu Pinyin"
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cmn",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Mandarin"
    },
    {
      "name": "zh-l",
      "args": {
        "1": "肖",
        "2": "Xiāo"
      },
      "expansion": "肖 (Xiāo)"
    },
    {
      "name": "zh-l",
      "args": {
        "1": "蕭",
        "tr": "Xiāo"
      },
      "expansion": "蕭／萧 (Xiāo)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "肖",
      "肖#Chinese"
    ],
    [
      "蕭",
      "蕭#Chinese"
    ],
    [
      "萧",
      "萧#Chinese"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "A surname."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "f81e206d19a0fcc52dbf13387812f90ce76a69f817489cfb92954d3c7444f01f",
      "rawRecordSha256": "e3da64aa2a72068f0c92227594b1a225ac04004ee339aeea4728fdca8b46ffeb",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 6547996
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

name

Usually attached to a surname, signifying a little one, junior, small guy, younger person.

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

Borrowed from Mandarin 小 (xiǎo).

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": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Mandarin"
    },
    {
      "name": "zh-l",
      "args": {
        "1": "小"
      },
      "expansion": "小 (xiǎo)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "小",
      "小#Chinese"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "Usually attached to a surname, signifying a little one, junior, small guy, younger person."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "f45d05f98715e52fd29ad3b4fbafeadb1c0a6b16ee79c94020a1941d1d926772",
      "rawRecordSha256": "a3ef3422c7fd7c3a21b69f638e4ed14f49c2e91c8d7317263068d311c396f74e",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 6547997
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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    "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 Xiao →

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-WGlhbw