Chink

Meaning

Noun

1. A person of perceived Chinese ethnicity or descent.
2. A person of perceived East Asian descent.
3. A meal of Chinese food.

Adj

1. Chinese, or perceived to be Chinese.
2. East Asian.

Synonyms

Chinese person

crevice

crack

cranny

crevasse

Chinese

🇨🇳/🇲🇴

ring

💍

sound

🔉

tune

Manchu person

fissure

chink

cleft

Pronounced as (IPA)

/t͡ʃɪŋk/

Etymology

Cognate with Italian: cincin

Cognate with Portuguese: tchim-tchim

Cognate with Spanish: chinchín

Cognate with French: tchin-tchin

In summary

There are several possible origins of the term:
* From the Chinese courtesy ching-ching, a reduplication of Mandarin 請／请 (qǐng, “please”). Compare chin-chin, Italian cincin, Portuguese tchim-tchim, tim-tim, Spanish chinchín, French tchin-tchin.
* From the alteration of China.
* From the alteration of Qing (also spelled Ch'ing).
See also Hokkien 親家／亲家 (chhin-ke, “any relative by marriage (to a Chinese family)”).