Where does “Mandarin” come from?
Mandarin comes from French mandarine and mandarin, from Sanskrit मन्त्रिन् meaning counselor or minister, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European men- meaning to think or advise.
Mandarin (English): Standard Mandarin, an official language of China...
Definitions
- Standard Mandarin, an official language of China...
Ancestry of “Mandarin”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | mandarine | mandarin orange |
| 2 | Portuguese | mandarim | mandarin; Mandarin |
| 3 | Malay | menteri | minister, vizier; minister, a politician who... |
| 4 | Hindi | मन्त्रि | — |
| 5 | Sanskrit | मन्त्रिन् | Minister, councilor, counselor, scholar |
| 6 | Sanskrit | मन्त्र | sacred text or speech; a prayer or song of praise... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | *mántras | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | men- | to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,... |