wei

Wei is a pinyin transliteration used for several Chinese names and terms. It commonly refers to a surname, several historical states, and a river, as well as various place names and institutions.

As a surname, Wei can be written with different Chinese characters, most commonly 魏 and 韦. 魏 is associated with the ancient state of Wei in the Zhou dynasty, and with later polities that bore the same character. 韦 is a separate surname with its own origins and uses.

Historically, Wei (魏) was a major state during the Warring States period (475–221 BCE). Its power and territory were overtaken by Qin, which unified China. In the Three Kingdoms era, Cao Wei (曹魏) was one of the three competing regimes from 220 to 265 CE. In northern China, the Northern Wei (北魏) dynasty (386–534) founded by the Tuoba clan played a central role in unifying the north before it fragmented and contributed to the eventual rise of the Sui dynasty.

The Wei River (渭河) is a major tributary of the Yellow River in northern China. It flows through the Guanzhong Plain in Shaanxi Province and is closely associated with early Chinese civilization around Xi'an and the Zhou capital.

In modern usage, Wei remains a common surname and appears in various geographic names and institutions. The meaning and origin of a given Wei depends on the character used and the context in which it appears.