noun
sinology; Chinese studies
Obsolete and sensitive term for the academic study of China, replaced by 中国学 (ちゅうごくがく) in modern usage. The kanji 支那 is now considered offensive.
See also: 中国学
戦前は「支那学」という学問分野があったが、今では「中国学」と呼ばれる。
Before the war there was an academic field called 支那学, but now it is called 中国学.