Where did the word ‘junk’ come from?

Long before summer junk parties became trendy, the trad­itional boat – efficient, sturdy, multi-masted vessels, with fully battened sails, compartmentalised hull, stabilising lee- and centreboards, stern-mounted rudder – had been a Hong Kong icon, featured in the logo of the old Tourist Association.

It would be easy to assume, as many do, that the English word “junk” comes from Chinese – chuán in Putonghua or Southern Min chûn.

Chinese maritime expeditions are well-represent­ed in historical and popular literature: the earliest descrip­tions of the ships are found in 2nd-century Chinese accounts; their development and expansion peaking in the 10th to 13th cen­turies, they are described by 14th-century travellers such as Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta; and Zheng He’s 15th-century Indian Ocean expeditions had the largest ships and fleets.

The story of the word junk is far more nuanced, though, involving two oft-overlooked actors.

Consider first the Javanese, who were dominant in pre-colonial Southeast Asia’s vibrant maritime trade, from the Srivijaya (7th-12th centuries) to the Majapahit (late 13th-16th centuries) empires.