A combining form meaning 'Chinese' or 'of China', used in terms like Sino-Japanese or Sinology.
From Late Latin 'Sinai', from Greek 'Sinai', ultimately from Sanskrit 'Cina' meaning 'China'. The term has been used in Western languages since ancient times.
The 'Sino-' prefix traces back to the ancient Silk Road, when Western traders first encountered Chinese civilization. It preserves a 2,000-year-old perspective on China from the outside world, embedded in modern diplomatic and academic language.
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