Revised 2000 More entries for "mandarin"
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mandarinnoun1
Factsheet
What does the noun mandarin mean?
There are seven meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun mandarin, one of which is labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
mandarin has developed meanings and uses in subjects including
How common is the noun mandarin?
About 0.7occurrences per million words in modern written English
| 1750 | 0.73 |
| 1760 | 0.9 |
| 1770 | 1.6 |
| 1780 | 1.6 |
| 1790 | 1.7 |
| 1800 | 1.8 |
| 1810 | 2.0 |
| 1820 | 1.6 |
| 1830 | 1.8 |
| 1840 | 1.9 |
| 1850 | 2.0 |
| 1860 | 1.8 |
| 1870 | 1.5 |
| 1880 | 1.5 |
| 1890 | 1.4 |
| 1900 | 1.3 |
| 1910 | 1.2 |
| 1920 | 1.1 |
| 1930 | 0.87 |
| 1940 | 0.85 |
| 1950 | 0.81 |
| 1960 | 0.78 |
| 1970 | 0.75 |
| 1980 | 0.73 |
| 1990 | 0.68 |
| 2000 | 0.65 |
| 2010 | 0.63 |
How is the noun mandarin pronounced?
British English
/ˈmand(ə)rɪn/
MAN-duh-rin
/mandəˈrɪn/
man-duh-RIN
U.S. English
/ˈmændərən/
MAN-duhr-uhn
Where does the noun mandarin come from?
Earliest known use
late 1500s
The earliest known use of the noun mandarin is in the late 1500s.
OED's earliest evidence for mandarin is from 1589, in a translation by Robert Parke, translator.
mandarin is a borrowing from Portuguese.
Etymons: Portuguese mandarim.
Nearby entries
- Mandaite, n. & adj.a1837–1900
- mandala, n.1859–
- mandalic, adj.1967–
- mandament, n.1442–1834
- mandamus, n.1535–
- mandamus, v.1823–
- Mandan, n. & adj.1790–
- mandant, adj. & n.1543–1875
- mandapa, n.1807–
- mandarah, n.1836–
- mandarin, n.¹1589–
- mandarin, n.²1771–
- mandarinate, n.1728–
- mandarin blue, n.1912–
- mandarin boat, n.1748–1863
- mandarin broth, n.1701–26
- mandarin cap, n.1835–60
- mandarin cat, n.1752
- mandarin coat, n.1911–
- mandarin collar, n.1952–
- mandarin dignity, n.1813
Etymology
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Meaning & use
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Pronunciation
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Forms
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Frequency
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Compounds & derived words
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Entry history for mandarin, n.¹
mandarin, n.¹ was revised in September 2000.
mandarin, n.¹ was last modified in March 2024.
oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:
- further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into mandarin, n.¹ in March 2024.
Earlier versions of this entry were published in:
OED First Edition (1904)
OED Second Edition (1989)
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Factsheet for mandarin, n.¹
Browse entry
Nearby entries
- Mandaite, n. & adj.a1837–1900
- mandala, n.1859–
- mandalic, adj.1967–
- mandament, n.1442–1834
- mandamus, n.1535–
- mandamus, v.1823–
- Mandan, n. & adj.1790–
- mandant, adj. & n.1543–1875
- mandapa, n.1807–
- mandarah, n.1836–
- mandarin, n.¹1589–
- mandarin, n.²1771–
- mandarinate, n.1728–
- mandarin blue, n.1912–
- mandarin boat, n.1748–1863
- mandarin broth, n.1701–26
- mandarin cap, n.1835–60
- mandarin cat, n.1752
- mandarin coat, n.1911–
- mandarin collar, n.1952–
- mandarin dignity, n.1813
