|
Mandarin[man´durin] Pronunciation Key [Port. mandar=to govern, or from Malay mantri=counselor of state], a high official of imperial China. For each of the nine grades there was a different colored button worn on the dress cap. Mandarin Chinese was the language spoken by the official class and was based on the Beijing dialect. Mandarin Chinese is now taught throughout the country, and it is the official national language. It is widely spoken except along the southeastern coast, where the Cantonese, Fukienese, and Shanghai languages : some considered, along with Mandarin, as Chinese dialects : are dominant. See Chinese.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2009, Columbia
University Press.
Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
|
Topics
that might be of interest to you: |
• Chinese
|
|
