<p>交通 (traffic) is a compound word made up of 交(crossing) and 通(passing), it is not hard to comprehend</p>
<p>&quot;communications&quot; is the &quot;traffic of information&quot;</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-06T04:08:12.813Z
Yes, to "communicate" is to have a "passing / flowing" of information back and forth, just like the "passing / flowing" of vehicles in traffic transportation. Also, the Bank of Communications sounds better than the the Bank of Traffic?
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-06T04:33:55.083Z
In fact "traffic" in English means more than transportation and can encompass commerce and communications.
河南宝宝
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-06T05:41:49.390Z
How about human "trafficking" and in illegal drugs? It's all to do with "movement" The movement of information, (in communication), and the movement of traffic, (in transportation)
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-06T03:36:09.713Z
2024-08-06T03:36:09.713Z
Tang Ho
<p><a href="https://www.zdic.net/hans/%E4%BA%A4%E9%80%9A" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><strong>交通</strong></a> （汉语词语）- to be connected thru the forms of  traffic, transportation, communications, and liaison.</p>
<p><strong>交通是指从事旅客和货物运输及语言和图文传递的行业</strong>，包括<strong>运输和邮电两个方面</strong>，在国民经济中属于第三产业。运输有铁路、公路、水路、空路、管道五种方式，邮电包括邮政和电信两方面内容。</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-06T18:27:32.513Z
2024-08-06T18:27:32.513Z
r13
<p>What is the origin of the word 交通? How did it originally mean &quot;communications&quot; and how did it evolve to mean &quot;transportation&quot;?</p>
<p>The word 交通 may come from《易经》“天地交而万物通”. In the ancient time, 交通 included 陆路, 水路, and 邮路. Until modern industrial progress, 交通 consists of both transportation and communication. It is a historical mistake to call 交通银行 the Bank of Communications. For the same reason, many 交通大学(s) (上海 西安 北京) call themselves Jiao Tong University in English, considering the word group &quot;transportation and communication&quot; is too long.</p>
<p>In recent years, electronic communication has become more and more popular. Chinese use the word 电信 通讯 for communication. Therefore it seems only the transportation left in 交通.</p>
<p>In people's daily lives, they still use 交通 for communication, such as 教会的兄弟姊妹有每周的交通, which means discussion, not car-pooling. But other people may choose to use 交流。</p>
<p>The English word transportation should be translated into 运输 in Chinese. It may be somehow difficult to find a suitable Chinese word for the English word traffic, which means the vehicles and information in movement. You can try 车流 信息流。</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-06T12:33:00.027Z
2024-08-06T14:15:46.877Z
2024-08-06T14:15:46.877Z
PdotWang
<p>In a Technical Communications course in university, we learned that 交通 originally meant &quot;communications&quot;, which is why the 交通银行 is called the Bank of Communications in English, not the Bank of Transportation. However, it somehow evolved to mean &quot;transportation&quot;, and nowadays, a lot of 交通学院 teach transportation-related courses like train driving. What is the origin of the word 交通, and how did it evolve to mean &quot;transportation&quot; from its original meaning of &quot;communications&quot;?</p>

<meaning><etymology>
What is the origin of the word 交通? How did it originally mean "communications" and how did it evolve to mean "transportation"?
# What is the origin of the word 交通? How did it originally mean "communications" and how did it evolve to mean "transportation"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-08-06)

In a Technical Communications course in university, we learned that 交通 originally meant "communications", which is why the 交通银行 is called the Bank of Communications in English, not the Bank of Transportation. However, it somehow evolved to mean "transportation", and nowadays, a lot of 交通学院 teach transportation-related courses like train driving. What is the origin of the word 交通, and how did it evolve to mean "transportation" from its original meaning of "communications"?

**Tags:** meaning, etymology


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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2024-08-06. Score: 1

交通 (traffic) is a compound word made up of 交(crossing) and 通(passing), it is not hard to comprehend

"communications" is the "traffic of information"

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Yes, to "communicate" is to have a "passing / flowing" of information back and forth, just like the "passing / flowing" of vehicles in traffic transportation. Also, the Bank of Communications sounds better than the the Bank of Traffic?  
> **username_3**: In fact "traffic" in English means more than transportation and can encompass commerce and communications.  
> **username_2**: How about human "trafficking" and in illegal drugs? It's all to do with "movement" The movement of information, (in communication), and the movement of traffic, (in transportation)  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2024-08-06. Score: 1

[**交通**](https://www.zdic.net/hans/%E4%BA%A4%E9%80%9A) （汉语词语）- to be connected thru the forms of traffic, transportation, communications, and liaison.

**交通是指从事旅客和货物运输及语言和图文传递的行业**，包括**运输和邮电两个方面**，在国民经济中属于第三产业。运输有铁路、公路、水路、空路、管道五种方式，邮电包括邮政和电信两方面内容。


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### Answer by username_5 on 2024-08-06. Score: 1

What is the origin of the word 交通? How did it originally mean "communications" and how did it evolve to mean "transportation"?

The word 交通 may come from《易经》“天地交而万物通”. In the ancient time, 交通 included 陆路, 水路, and 邮路. Until modern industrial progress, 交通 consists of both transportation and communication. It is a historical mistake to call 交通银行 the Bank of Communications. For the same reason, many 交通大学(s) (上海 西安 北京) call themselves Jiao Tong University in English, considering the word group "transportation and communication" is too long.

In recent years, electronic communication has become more and more popular. Chinese use the word 电信 通讯 for communication. Therefore it seems only the transportation left in 交通.

In people's daily lives, they still use 交通 for communication, such as 教会的兄弟姊妹有每周的交通, which means discussion, not car-pooling. But other people may choose to use 交流。

The English word transportation should be translated into 运输 in Chinese. It may be somehow difficult to find a suitable Chinese word for the English word traffic, which means the vehicles and information in movement. You can try 车流 信息流。


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