Greece is also called “Hellas“. They are the usual ways we hear the country being called. There is, however, a people who call Greece Si-La and this name is not at all random. It is not a people with Latin roots but it constitutes one-fifth of the world population. The reason for China.
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Who are the people who call Greece Si-La?
The Chinese culture, then, is the one that calls Greece Si-La. It is one of the oldest cultures that has distinguished itself worldwide along with Greece in the past. It was, moreover, the culture that laid the foundations of modern Asia in exactly the same way that Greece was the core of today’s European culture and It is no coincidence that it laid the foundations of democracy worldwide.
Chinese culture is indisputably one of the oldest and most important in the world. And although the Greek and Chinese cultures were never very close due to the distance, one knew the other. The Chinese, then, call Greece Si-La. It is one of the few languages that they name Greece from its ancient root of the name “Hellas”. What does it mean? It means “The other great culture”. And why do we say that the name comes from Hellas? Because the name Si-La came from the phonetic transcription of “Hellas” in Mandarin.
In essence, the first syllable, “HE”, which traditionally bears rough breathing and is speculated to have a heavier pronunciation, was transcribed as “Si”. In addition, correspondingly, the second syllable was established as “LA”. The first ideogram in Mandarin means “hope”. On the other hand, now, the second ideogram corresponds to December in the traditional Chinese calendar. When these two are together, when they unite they take on another meaning. The two syllables create a phrase that in Chinese translates as “the other great culture”.
The Chinese call Greece 'Si-La' (希腊), which is a phonetic transcription of the ancient Greek name 'Hellas' into Mandarin. The name Si-La is derived from the rough breathing of 'HE' transcribed as 'Si' and the second syllable 'Las' transcribed as 'LA'. Together, these characters create a phrase meaning 'the other great culture' in Chinese.
Si-La in Chinese means 'the other great culture.' The first ideogram 'Si' (希) means 'hope,' while the second ideogram 'La' (腊) corresponds to December in the traditional Chinese calendar. When combined together, these two syllables represent a phrase honoring Greece as a great civilization alongside China's own ancient culture.
The Chinese use Si-La because it is one of the few languages that derive Greece's name from its ancient root 'Hellas' rather than from Latin-based origins. This phonetic transcription reflects the historical connection between Chinese and Greek cultures, both of which are among the world's oldest and most influential civilizations.
Si-La is created by breaking down the Greek word 'Hellas' into two parts: the first syllable 'HE' (with rough breathing and heavier pronunciation) becomes 'Si' in Mandarin, and the second syllable 'Las' becomes 'LA.' This phonetic adaptation allows Mandarin speakers to pronounce the ancient Greek name in their own language.
Greek and Chinese cultures are two of the world's oldest and most important civilizations. Greece laid the foundations of modern European culture and democracy worldwide, while China established the cultural foundations of modern Asia. Although geographically distant, these civilizations were aware of each other and represent parallel pillars of world civilization.
