汉语为什么又叫Mandarin？Mandarin (noun) (来源：http://www.
2hzz.
com) Pronunciation: ['man-dê-rên or -rin] Definition: In Webster's 1828 dictionary, a mandarin was a magistrate or governor of a province in China.
(Mind your history, now—Webster's was speaking of the imperial government, long before Mao Zedong).
From that root, the meaning of mandarin took on a disapproving tone in modern English until it came to refer to a behind-the-scenes powerbroker in government.
It also means a member of an elite intellectual group or one who believes in rule by the cultural elite.
Usage: Calling someone a mandarin with a small m usually is not flattering.
However, Mandarin, capital M, refers to a group of Chinese dialects spoken in about 4/5 of China and centering on Beijing.
The mandarin orange uses the same name because it is native to the same general area (southeastern Asia).