A.Word.A.Day with Anu Garg mandarin PRONUNCIATION: (MAN-duh-rin) MEANING: noun: 1. A member of one of nine ranks of public officials in the Chinese Empire. 2. A powerful government official or bureaucrat. 3. A member of an elite group, especially one having influence in intellectual or literary circles. 4. Capitalized: the official language of China. 5. A citrus tree, Citrus reticulata, that is native to China. adjective: 1. Of or relating to a mandarin. 2. Marked by refined or ornate language. ETYMOLOGY: From Portuguese mandarim, from Malay menteri, from Hindi, from Sanskrit mantri (counselor), from mantra (word or formula), from manyate (he thinks). Earliest documented use: 1589. USAGE: Narendra Modis real challenge begins once he gets down to the brass tacks of realpolitik with Obama and the White House mandarins. The Modi Sales Pitch; Gulf News (Dubai); Sep 30, 2014. No one would accuse James Swain of writing mandarin prose; in fact, he uses language with such blunt force he could be hammering in nails. Marilyn Stasio; After-School Special; The New York Times Book Review; Oct 7, 2007. See more usage examples of mandarin in Vocabularys dictionary. A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men. -Ella Wheeler Wilcox, poet (1850-1919)
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 14:09:03 +0000
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