mandarin
noun
[ ˈmand(ə)rɪn ]
• the standard literary and official form of Chinese, spoken by over 730 million people.
• an official in any of the nine top grades of the former imperial Chinese civil service.
• a powerful official or senior bureaucrat, especially one perceived as reactionary and secretive.
• "a civil service mandarin"
Origin:
late 16th century (denoting a Chinese official): from Portuguese mandarim, via Malay from Hindi mantrī ‘counsellor’.
mandarin
noun
• a small flattish citrus fruit with a loose yellow-orange skin.
• the citrus tree that yields the mandarin.
Origin:
late 18th century: from French mandarine ; perhaps related to mandarin1, the colour of the fruit being likened to the official's yellow robes.
