also: とうど
Archaic Japanese name for China, used in pre-modern contexts. Not used in contemporary Japanese to refer to modern China.
The Japanese envoys traveled to Tang China.
Only with reading もろこし
Prefix use, mainly in historical or traditional compound words referring to things from China. Restricted to the reading もろこし.
Morokoshi-bune referred to ships that came from China in the past.
Chinese ship
Historical name for China; the reading もろこし is standard for this kanji form.
Alternate reading とうど, restricted to the 唐土 spelling; less common than もろこし.
Abbreviated kanji form; also read もろこし in historical contexts.
From Middle Chinese 唐土 (Tang soil/land), referring to China during the Tang dynasty. The reading もろこし is a Japanese adaptation of the Chinese pronunciation.