Why <em>Mandarin</em> Doesn’t Come From Chinese
The name of the world’s most spoken language has a surprising origin story.
Since the mandarin duck appeared in Central Park last fall, his unexpected presence has stirred up many questions: Where did he come from? Why is he so hot? Can such beauty survive in our garbage world? And, for the linguistics nerds out there, where do mandarin ducks get their name?
Yes, true, mandarin ducks are native to China, where Mandarin is the official language. But the word has a more roundabout origin. It (or “common speech”) and China, the country, as (or “Middle Kingdom”). It doesn’t come from any other variant of Chinese, either. Its origins are Portuguese.
