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Where did the word ‘junk’ come from?

You haven’t really experienced Hong Kong unless you’ve sailed in one of the city’s iconic boats. Find out what ‘junk’ has to do with Old Javanese

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Junks in Hong Kong harbour

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.

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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.

A model of a boat used by Chinese admiral Zheng He. Picture: AP
A model of a boat used by Chinese admiral Zheng He. Picture: AP
The story of the word junk is far more nuanced, though, involving two oft-overlooked actors.
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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.

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