Old National Pronunciation

proper noun

The national standard for the pronunciation of Mandarin Chinese as used by the Republic of China from 1913 to 1932.

OriginChinese 老國音 /老国音 →
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Meanings

proper nounOld National Pronunciation or the Old National Pronunciation
  1. historicalThe national standard for the pronunciation of Mandarin Chinese as used by the Republic of China from 1913 to 1932.

Origin

  1. Chinese老國音 /老国音
  2. EnglishOld National Pronunciation

Calque of Chinese 老國音 /老国音 (Lǎoguóyīn), from 老 (lǎo, “old; venerable”, honorific) + 國音 /国音 (guóyīn, “national pronunciation”). The term old does not refer to it being a historical standard, but was instead used contemporaneously as a way to promote the standard's legitimacy.

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Cite this entry
APA

Old National Pronunciation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Old%20National%20Pronunciation

MLA

“Old National Pronunciation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Old%20National%20Pronunciation. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Old National Pronunciation,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Old%20National%20Pronunciation.

Source: Old National Pronunciation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.