Skip to main content
Zhou dynasty

Zhou dynasty

1 7.8
A ruling family in ancient China from about 1122 to 221 BC known for Confucian and Taoist ideas
  • noun
  • /ʒoʊ ˈdaɪnəsti/
translation icon : dinastía Zhou
  • Indeed, their incursions into Chinese territory eventually wiped out the Western Zhou dynasty (1122 BC-771 BC) and forced the Chinese court to move eastward.

Examples

  • Many important cultural advancements occurred during the Zhou dynasty, influencing Chinese civilization for centuries.

  • By the way, going back to the Zhou dynasty, the Chinese Empire has collapsed and revived repeatedly in the course of three thousand years.

    Blog text (33)
  • The story dates to about 700 B.C., during the first half of the Zhou dynasty, as a reference to the couple appears in one of the ancient poems of the Shih Ching, or "Book of Songs": PREFORMATTED TABLE

    Academic text (1991)
  • A study of the relations between Chinese and barbarians in the Western and Eastern Zhou dynasties. Beijing, Zhongguo shehui kexue chubanshe.

    Academic text (2018)
  • Huang (2000:18, 27) assigns the domestication of soybeans to the beginning of the Chou (Zhou) dynasty.

    Academic text (2001)
  • The Zhou dynasty is renowned for its significant contributions to Chinese philosophy, particularly the development of Confucianism and Taoism.

  • Historians often study the Zhou dynasty to understand the origins of key philosophical ideas that shaped Chinese society.

Synonyms

Zhou
vsZhou dynasty
9 9.5

A Chinese ruling family from about 1122 to 221 BC when Confucianism and Taoism grew

is the full two-word name rather than the short form
Chou
vsZhou dynasty
  • Literature
4 9.9

A Chinese imperial dynasty from about 1122 to 221 BC when Confucianism and Taoism began

is the complete modern two-word name and standard spelling
Chow dynasty
vsZhou dynasty
  • Literature
9.6

A ruling family in China from about 1122 to 221 BC when Confucianism and Taoism grew

is the standard modern English spelling for that historical period
Chou dynasty
vsZhou dynasty
  • Literature
8.8

A ruling family in ancient China from 1122 to 221 BC when Confucianism and Taoism began

is the preferred modern romanization for that historical period

Surface Forms

Zhou dynasty singular

Morphology

Zhou + dynasty

The phrase is transparently compositional: 'Zhou' is a proper name referring to a historical ruling house and 'dynasty' means a succession of rulers, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it denotes the ruling dynasty called Zhou. While they may not know the exact dates or cultural details, the basic meaning (a family/period of rulers in China) is directly derivable and cross-linguistically obvious.

Etymology

Zhou dynasty comes from the ruling family called the Zhou, who became kings long ago. The word dynasty means a family of rulers, so Zhou dynasty refers to the time when the Zhou family 'ruled' China.