Editing Yunnan (section)

== Etymology ==

The name "Yunnan" first referred to a place when the [[Han dynasty]] created Yunnan County near modern [[Xiangyun County|Xiangyun]].<ref>{{cite book |author1=杨跃生 |author2=云南省祥云县志编纂委员会 |script-title=zh:祥云县志 |location=Beijing |publisher=[[Zhonghua Book Company]] |date=1996 |isbn=7-101-01548-4 |page=7}}</ref> During the [[Tang dynasty]], [[Emperor Xuanzong of Tang|Emperor Xuanzong]] gave [[Piluoge]], the chief of [[Nanzhao]], the title of "King of Yunnan",<ref name="尤中">{{cite book |author=尤中 |script-title=zh:云南地方沿革史 |location=[[Kunming]] |publisher=[[Yunnan People's Publishing House]] |date=1990 |pages=3–5}}</ref> because Nanzhao originated from Yunnan county.<ref name="吴光泛">{{cite book |author1=吴光泛 |author2=云南省地名委员会办公室 |script-title=zh:云南地名探源 |location=[[Kunming]] |publisher=[[Yunnan People's Publishing House]] |date=1988 |isbn=7-222-00203-0 |page=8,78–80}}</ref> Gradually the king of Yunnan controlled more and more territory, and "Yunnan" became the common name of this area.<ref name="谭其骧">{{cite journal |author1=[[Tan Qixiang|谭其骧]] |author2=王天良 |author3=邹逸麟 |author4=郑宝恒 |author5=胡菊兴 |date=1980 |script-title=zh:我国省区名称的来源 |journal=Fudan Journal (Social Science Edition) |issue=S1 |page=128}}</ref> Therefore, the [[Yuan dynasty]] created Yunnan Province after it occupied the [[Dali Kingdom]].<ref name="尤中"/>

Han dynasty literature did not record the etymology of "Yunnan", and there are many theories about its origin. One common theory states that the name means "south of colorful clouds" ({{lang-zh|labels=no|s=彩云之南|p=cǎiyún zhī nán}}). Some annals in the [[Ming dynasty]], for example ''Dian Lüe'' ({{lang-zh|labels=no|c=滇略}}) and ''Yunnan General Annals'' ({{lang-zh|labels=no|s=云南通志}}), support this.<ref name="吴光泛" /> However, modern historian [[Tan Qixiang]] states that this theory is a superficial explanation of the literal meaning.<ref name="谭其骧" /> Another common theory is that the name means "south of [[Yun Range]]" ({{lang-zh|labels=no|s=云岭之南}}) However, this has been disproven because the name "Yunling Mountains" first appeared in Tang dynasty (618–907) literature, but the name "Yunnan" first appeared during the Han dynasty (202&nbsp;BC – 220&nbsp;AD).<ref name="吴光泛"/> Modern research gives more conjectures. You Zhong said "Yunnan" means "south of the mountain (referring to the [[Cang Mountain]]) with clouds".<ref name="尤中"/> Wu Guangfan said "Yunnan" might be a [[Loloish languages|Loloish]] or [[Bai language|Bai]] name.<ref name="吴光泛"/>