mandarin

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 14, 2012 is: mandarin • \MAN-drin\  • adjective 1 : of, relating to, or typical of a public official in China 2 : marked by polished ornate complexity of language Examples: "Paradoxically, given his intense intellectuality and mandarin prose, Updike wrote his best work about ordinary life, especially in his tetralogy about Harry 'Rabbit' Angstrom." - From an obituary by Andrew Rosenheim in The Independent (London), January 29, 2009 "Lovecraft managed to genuinely unnerve readers with his haunting monsters and mandarin prose…." - From an article by Geoff Schumacher in Las Vegas CityLife, October 6, 2011 Did you know? The Portuguese were the first to refer to a Chinese official as a "mandarin." The word hails from the Portuguese word "mandarium," which developed from Sanskrit "mantrin," a word for "counselor." Mandarins were promoted by successfully completing the imperial Chinese examination system, which was primarily based on the teachings of Confucian texts. In time, "mandarin" became a word for a pedantic official, a bureaucrat, or a person of position and influence. The noun passed into the English language in 1589, and the adjective appeared about 15 years later. You may also know "Mandarin" as a word for the chief dialect of China or be familiar with the mandarin orange. (The fruit's name comes from the orange color of a mandarin official's robe.) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.