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Genre fiction. In the book-trade, genre fiction, also known as formula fiction,[1] or commercial fiction,[2] encompasses fictional works written with the intent of fitting into a specific literary genre in order to appeal to readers and fans already familiar with that genre.[3] These labels commonly imply that this ty...
Little, Brown Book Group. Little, Brown Book Group is a UK publishing company created in 1988, with multiple predecessors. Since 2006 Little, Brown Book Group has been owned by Hachette UK, a subsidiary of Hachette Livre. It was acquired in 2006 from Time Warner of New York City, who then owned LBBG via the American p...
Holding company. A holding company is a company whose primary business is holding a controlling interest in the securities of other companies.[1] A holding company usually does not produce goods or services itself. Its purpose is to own stock of other companies to create a corporate group. Holding companies also condu...
Genovese. Genovese is an Italian surname meaning, properly, someone from Genoa. Its Italian plural form Genovesi has also developed into a surname.
Eiji Tsuburaya. Eiji Tsuburaya (Japanese: 円谷 英二, Hepburn: Tsuburaya Eiji; July 7, 1901[b] – January 25, 1970) was a Japanese special effects director, filmmaker, and cinematographer. A co-creator of the Godzilla and Ultraman franchises, he is considered one of the most important and influential figures in the history ...
Russell Square. Russell Square is a large garden square in Bloomsbury, in the London Borough of Camden, built predominantly by the firm of James Burton. It is near the University of Londons main buildings and the British Museum. Almost exactly square, to the north is Woburn Place and to the south-east is Southampton R...
Archibald Constable. Archibald David Constable (24 February 1774 – 21 July 1827) was a Scottish publisher, bookseller and stationer. Constable was born at Carnbee, Fife, son of the land steward to the Earl of Kellie.[1] In 1788 Archibald was apprenticed to Peter Hill, an Edinburgh bookseller, based on the High Street ...
Geneva (disambiguation). Geneva is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland. Geneva may also refer to:
Commonwealth realm. A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state in the Commonwealth of Nations that has the same constitutional monarch and head of state as the other realms. The current monarch is King Charles III.[1][2][3] Except for the United Kingdom, in each of the realms the monarch is represented by a governor-ge...
Canton of Geneva. The Canton of Geneva, officially the Republic and Canton of Geneva,[4][5] is one of the 26 cantons of the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of forty-five municipalities, and the seat of the government and parliament is in the city of Geneva. Geneva is the French-speaking westernmost canton of Switz...
Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock Holmes (/ˈʃɜːrlɒk ˈhoʊmz/) is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a consulting detective in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and logical reasoning that borders on the fantasti...
Crime Story (disambiguation). Crime fiction stories are narratives that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation of a crime. Crime Story may also refer to:
Chicago (disambiguation). Chicago, Illinois, is the third-most populous city in the United States. Chicago may also refer to: Any of several disciplines, some associated with the University of Chicago, including
Municipalities of Switzerland. Municipalities (German: Gemeinden, Einwohnergemeinden or politische Gemeinden; French: communes; Italian: comuni; Romansh: vischnancas) are the lowest level of administrative division in Switzerland. Each municipality is part of one of the Swiss cantons, which form the Swiss Confederatio...
Crime Stories (disambiguation). Crime Stories are narratives that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation of a crime. Crime Stories may also refer to:
Murder mystery (disambiguation). A murder mystery is a work of crime fiction. Murder mystery may also refer to:
Fable (disambiguation). A fable is a story intended to illustrate a moral. Fable(s), The Fable(s), or A Fable may also refer to:
Chicago River. 41°53′11″N 87°38′15″W / 41.88639°N 87.63750°W / 41.88639; -87.63750 The Chicago River is a system of rivers and canals with a combined length of 156 miles (251 km)[1] that runs through the city of Chicago, including its center (the Chicago Loop).[2] The river is one of the reasons for Chicagos geograp...
French language. French (français [fʁɑ̃sɛ] ⓘ or langue française [lɑ̃ɡ fʁɑ̃sɛːz] ⓘ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. Like all other Romance languages, it descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire. French evolved from Northern Old Gallo-Romance, a descendant of the Latin spoken in Northern ...
Saying. A saying is any concise expression that is especially memorable because of its meaning or style. A saying often shows a wisdom or cultural standard, having different meanings than just the words themselves.[1] Sayings are categorized as follows:
Narrative. A narrative, story, or tale is any account of a series of related events or experiences,[1][2] whether non-fictional (memoir, biography, news report, documentary, travelogue, etc.) or fictional (fairy tale, fable, legend, thriller, novel, etc.).[3][4][5] Narratives can be presented through a sequence of writ...
Charles III. Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms.[b] Charles was born during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and became heir apparent when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, acceded to the throne in 195...
Folklore (disambiguation). Folklore is a body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people. Folklore may also refer to:
Anthropomorphism. Anthropomorphism (from the Greek words ánthrōpos (ἄνθρωπος), meaning human, and morphē (μορφή), meaning form or shape) is the attribution of human form, character, or attributes to non-human entities.[1] It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology.[2] Personification is the related ...
People. The term the people refers to the public or common mass of people of a polity.[1] As such it is a concept of human rights law, international law as well as constitutional law, particularly used for claims of popular sovereignty. In contrast, a people is any plurality of persons considered as a whole. Used in po...
Hansel and Gretel. Hansel and Gretel (/ˈhænsəl, ˈhɛn- ... ˈɡrɛtəl/; German: Hänsel und Gretel [ˈhɛnzl̩ ʔʊnt ˈɡʁeːtl̩])[a] is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812 as part of Grimms Fairy Tales (KHM 15).[1][2] Hansel and Gretel are siblings who are abandoned in a forest and fall into ...
Arthur Rackham. Arthur Rackham RWS (19 September 1867 – 6 September 1939) was an English book illustrator. He is recognised as one of the leading figures during the Golden Age of British book illustration. His work is noted for its robust pen and ink drawings, which were combined with the use of watercolour, a techniq...
Common Era. Common Era (CE) and Before the Common Era (BCE) are year notations for the Gregorian or Julian calendar, and are exactly equivalent to the Anno Domini (AD) and Before Christ (BC) notations. 2025 CE and AD 2025 each describe the current year; 400 BCE and 400 BC are the same year.[1][2] BCE/CE are primarily ...
King James Version. The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version (AV), is an Early Modern English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England, which was commissioned in 1604 and published in 1611, by sponsorship of King James VI and I.[d] The 80 books of the...
Chicago Loop. The Loop is Chicagos central business district and one of the citys 77 municipally recognized community areas. Located at the center of downtown Chicago[3] on the shores of Lake Michigan, it is the second-largest business district in North America, after Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The world head...
Chicago L. The Chicago L (short for elevated)[4] is the rapid transit system serving the city of Chicago and some of its surrounding suburbs in the U.S. state of Illinois. Operated by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), it is the fourth-largest rapid transit system in the United States in terms of total route length,...
Hoodening. Hoodening (/ʊd.ɛnɪŋ/), also spelled hodening and oodening, is a folk custom found in Kent, a county in South East England. The tradition entails the use of a wooden hobby horse known as a hooden horse that is mounted on a pole and carried by a person hidden under a sackcloth. Originally, the tradition was r...
Culture. Culture (/ˈkʌltʃər/ KUL-chər) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, attitudes, and habits of the individuals in these groups.[1] Culture often originates from or is attributed t...
Trick-or-treating. Trick-or-treating is a traditional Halloween custom for children and adults in some countries. During the evening of Halloween, on October 31, people in costumes travel from house to house, asking for treats with the phrase trick or treat. The treat is some form of confectionery, usually candy/sweets...
Mummers play. Mummers plays are folk plays performed by troupes of amateur actors, traditionally all male, known as mummers or guisers (also by local names such as rhymers, pace-eggers, soulers, tipteerers, wrenboys, and galoshins). Historically, mummers plays consisted of informal groups of costumed community members...
List of municipalities in Illinois. Illinois is a state located in the Midwestern United States. According to the 2020 United States census, Illinois is the 6th most populous state with 12,812,508 inhabitants but the 24th largest by land area spanning 55,499.0 square miles (143,742 km2) of land.[1] Illinois is divide...
Family law (disambiguation). Family law is an area of the law that deals with family matters and domestic relations. Family Law may also refer to:
The Decemberists. The Decemberists are an American indie rock band from Portland, Oregon, formed in 2000. The band consists of Colin Meloy (lead vocals, guitar), Chris Funk (guitar, multi-instrumentalist), Jenny Conlee (piano, keyboards, accordion, backing vocals), Nate Query (bass), and John Moen (drums). As of 2024[u...
Soul cake. A soul cake, also known as a soulmass-cake, is a small round cake with sweet spices, which resembles a shortbread biscuit. It is traditionally made for Halloween, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day to commemorate the dead in many Christian traditions.[1][2] The cakes, often simply referred to as souls, are g...
Winter solstice. The winter solstice, or hibernal solstice, occurs when either of Earths poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the Sun. This happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere (Northern and Southern). For that hemisphere, the winter solstice is the day with the shortest period of daylight and longest nig...
Album. An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records (78s) collected in a bound book resembling a ...
Types of marriages. The type, functions, and characteristics of marriage vary from culture to culture, and can change over time. In general there are two types: civil marriage and religious marriage, and typically marriages employ a combination of both (religious marriages must often be licensed and recognized by the ...
Legitimacy (criminal law). In law, legitimacy is distinguished from legality (see also color of law). An action can be legal but not legitimate or vice versa it can be legitimate but not legal. Thomas Hilbink suggests that the power to compel obedience to the law, is derived from the power to sway public opinion, to th...
Music genre. A music genre is a conventional category that identifies some pieces of music as belonging to a shared tradition or set of conventions.[1] Genre is to be distinguished from musical form and musical style, although in practice these terms are sometimes used interchangeably.[2] Music can be divided into gen...
Common-law marriage. Common-law marriage, also known as non-ceremonial marriage,[1][2] sui iuris marriage, informal marriage, de facto marriage, more uxorio or marriage by habit and repute, is a marriage that results from the parties agreement to consider themselves married, followed by cohabitation, rather than throug...
Indie rock. Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent record labels, by the 1990s it became more widely associated with the music such b...
English and Welsh bastardy laws. In the law of England and Wales, a bastard (also historically called whoreson, although both of these terms have largely dropped from common usage) is an illegitimate child, one whose parents were not married at the time of their birth. Until 1926, there was no possibility of post fac...
Concubinage. Concubinage is an interpersonal and sexual relationship between two people in which the couple does not want to, or cannot, enter into a full marriage.[1] Concubinage and marriage are often regarded as similar, but mutually exclusive.[2] During the early stages of European colonialism, administrators ofte...
Spanish Netherlands. The Spanish Netherlands (Spanish: Países Bajos Españoles; Dutch: Spaanse Nederlanden; French: Pays-Bas espagnols; German: Spanische Niederlande; historically in Spanish: Flandes, the name Flanders was used as a pars pro toto)[4] were a collection of States of the Holy Roman Empire in the Low Countr...
Political legitimacy. In political science, legitimacy is a concept concerning the right of an authority, usually a governing law or a regime, to rule the actions of a society.[1][2] In political systems where this is not the case, unpopular regimes survive because they are considered legitimate by a small, influential...
Novella. A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most novelettes and short stories. The English word novella derives from the Italian novella meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) facts. The Italian term is a feminine of novello, which means n...
Hardcover. A hardcover, hard cover, or hardback (also known as hardbound, and sometimes as casebound[1]) book is one bound with rigid protective covers (typically of binders board or heavy paperboard covered with buckram or other cloth, heavy paper, or occasionally leather).[1] It has a flexible, sewn spine which allow...
Paperback. A paperback (softcover, softback) book is one with a thick paper or paperboard cover, also known as wrappers, and often held together with glue rather than stitches or staples. In contrast, hardback (hardcover) books are bound with cardboard covered with cloth, leather, paper, or plastic. Inexpensive books ...
Cohabitation. Cohabitation is an arrangement where people who are not legally married live together as a couple. They are often involved in a romantic or sexually intimate relationship on a long-term or permanent basis. Such arrangements have become increasingly common in Western countries since the late 20th century,...
Picaresque novel. The picaresque novel (Spanish: picaresca, from pícaro, for rogue or rascal) is a genre of prose fiction. It depicts the adventures of a roguish but appealing hero, usually of low social class, who lives by his wits in a corrupt society.[1] Picaresque novels typically adopt the form of an episodic pro...
Moorabbin, Victoria. Moorabbin is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 15 km south-east of Melbournes Central Business District,[2] located within the City of Kingston local government area. Moorabbin recorded a population of 6,287 at the 2021 census.[3] Most of the eastern side of Moorabbin has been an industr...
Nomarch. A nomarch (Ancient Greek: νομάρχης,[1] Ancient Egyptian: ḥrj tp ꜥꜣ Great Chief) was a provincial governor in ancient Egypt; the country was divided into 42 provinces, called nomes (singular spꜣ.t, plural spꜣ.wt). A nomarch was the government official responsible for a nome.[2] More recent studies are more caut...
Monarch (disambiguation). A monarch is the head of state of a monarchy, who holds the office for life or until abdication. Monarch or Monarchy may also refer to:
Order of Australia. The Order of Australia is an Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service.[2] It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of then prime minister Gough Whitlam. Before the establishment o...
Royal prerogative. The royal prerogative is a body of customary authority, privilege, and immunity recognised in common law (and sometimes in civil law jurisdictions possessing a monarchy) as belonging to the sovereign, and which have become widely vested in the government.[note 1] It is the means by which some of the...
East Slavic name. East Slavic naming customs are the traditional way of identifying a persons given name, patronymic name, and family name in East Slavic cultures in Russia and some countries formerly part of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. They are used commonly in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Kazakhst...
Illegitimate (film). Illegitimate (Romanian: Ilegitim) is a 2016 Romanian drama film directed by Adrian Sitaru. The film premiered at 2016 Berlin Film Festival, where it received C.I.C.A.E Award[1][2] Also, the film won the Golden Arena for the Best Film (Pula, Croatia), Namur Award for the Best Screenplay and Best Ac...
Musical theatre. Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an integrated whole. Alth...
Abdication system. The abdicational system (Chinese: 禪讓制; pinyin: Shàn ràng zhì) was a historical Chinese political system.[1] According to Chinese mythology, it was the system used by the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors before the switch to hereditary rule in the Xia dynasty.[1] Emperor Yao abdicated and chose Empe...
Monash University. Monash University (/ˈmɒnæʃ/) is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Named after World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. The university has a number of campuses, four of which are in Victoria (Clay...
Absolute monarchy. Absolute monarchy[1][2] is a form of monarchy in which the sovereign is the sole source of political power, unconstrained by constitutions, legislatures or other checks on their authority.[3] Throughout history, there have been many examples of absolute monarchs, with some famous examples including L...
Dame. Dame is a traditionally British honorific title given to women who have been admitted to certain orders of chivalry. It is the female equivalent of Sir, the title used by knights.[1] Baronetesses in their own right also use the title Dame.[citation needed] A woman appointed to the grades of Dame Commander or Dam...
Big Bad Wolf. The Big Bad Wolf is a fictional wolf appearing in several cautionary tales, including some of Grimms Fairy Tales. Versions of this character have appeared in numerous works, and it has become a generic archetype of a menacing predatory antagonist. Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, The Wolf an...
Little Red Riding Hood. Little Red Riding Hood (French: Le Petit Chaperon Rouge) is a fairy tale by Charles Perrault about a young girl and a Big Bad Wolf.[4][5] Its origins can be traced back to several pre-17th-century European folk tales. It was later retold in the 19th-century by the Brothers Grimm. The story has ...
Japan black. Japan black (also called black japan and bicycle paint[1]) is a lacquer or varnish suitable for many substrates but known especially for its use on iron and steel. It can also be called japan lacquer and Brunswick black. Its name comes from the association between the finish and Japanese products in the We...
Patronymic. A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of ones father, grandfather (more specifically an avonymic),[1][2] or an earlier male ancestor. It is the male equivalent of a matronymic. Patronymics are used, by custom or official policy, in many countries worldwide, alt...
Vagrancy (biology). Vagrancy is a phenomenon in biology whereby an individual animal (usually a bird) appears well outside its normal range;[1] they are known as vagrants. The term accidental is sometimes also used. There are a number of poorly understood factors which might cause an animal to become a vagrant, includi...
Fairy tale (disambiguation). A fairy tale is a story featuring folkloric characters. Fairy Tale(s), Faerie Tale(s), Faery Tale(s), or Fairytale(s) may also refer to:
Japan, Missouri. Japan (pronounced /ˈdʒeɪˌpæn/ JAY-pan or /ˈdʒeɪpən/ JAY-pun[1]) is an unincorporated community in southwest Franklin County, in the U.S. state of Missouri.[2] The community is located on Missouri Route AE 7.5 mile west-northwest of Sullivan.[3] A post office called Japan was established in 1860, and re...
Japan, Montenegro. Japan (Cyrillic: Јапан) is a hamlet in the municipality of Andrijevica, Montenegro. The village is roughly 6 km away from the border of Albania. The name of the village is often disputed; one source bases it on a legend from the time of the Kingdom of Montenegro, where a village wiseman and flag-bea...
Carl Larsson. Carl Olof Larsson (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈkɑːɭ ˈlɑ̌ːʂɔn] ⓘ; 28 May 1853 – 22 January 1919) was a Swedish painter representative of the Arts and Crafts movement. His many paintings include oils, watercolors, and frescoes. He is principally known for his watercolors of idyllic family life. He considered ...
Vagrant (disambiguation). A vagrant is a person who lives without a home or regular employment and wanders from place to place. Vagrant or vagrancy may also refer to:
Japanese lacquerware. Japanese Lacquerware (日本漆器, shikki) is a Japanese craft with a wide range of fine and decorative arts, as lacquer has been used in urushi-e, prints, and on a wide variety of objects from Buddha statues to bento boxes for food. The characteristic of Japanese lacquerware is the diversity of lacquerw...
Order of the British Empire. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities.[2] It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two of which make the recipient either a knight i...
Vagabond (disambiguation). A vagabond is a person who wanders from place to place without a permanent home or regular work. (The) Vagabond or Vagabonds may also refer to:
Melbourne. Melbourne (/ˈmɛlbərn/ MEL-bərn,[note 1] locally [ˈmæɫbən] ⓘ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: Narrm or Naarm[9][10]) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second most-populous city in Australia, after Sydney.[1] The citys name generally refers to a 9,993 km2 (3,858 sq mi)...
The Blind Girl. The Blind Girl is an oil on canvas painting by John Everett Millais, from 1856. It depicts two itinerant beggars, presumed to be sisters, one of whom is a blind musician, her concertina on her lap. They are resting by the roadside after a rainstorm, before travelling to the town of Winchelsea, visible ...
John Everett Millais. Sir John Everett Millais, 1st Baronet PRA (UK: /ˈmɪleɪ/ MIL-ay, US: /mɪˈleɪ/ mil-AY;[1][2] 8 June 1829 – 13 August 1896) was an English painter and illustrator who was one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.[3] He was a child prodigy who, aged eleven, became the youngest student to...
Folk music (disambiguation). Folk music is a genre of music. Folk music may also refer to:
Empire of Japan. The Empire of Japan,[c] also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was the Japanese nation state[d] that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, until the Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947.[8] From 1910 to 1945, it included the Japanese archipelago, the Kurils, ...
Traditional music (disambiguation). Traditional music refers to any music reproduced and shared through musical traditions and may equally refer to:
Folksinger (disambiguation). A folk singer or folksinger or is a person who sings traditional or contemporary folk music. Folksinger may also refer to:
Parkville, Victoria. Parkville is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km (1.9 mi) north of Melbournes Central Business District, located within the Cities of Melbourne and Merri-bek local government areas.[2] Parkville recorded a population of 7,074 at the 2021 census.[1] Parkville is bordered by...
Béla Bartók. Béla Viktor János Bartók (/ˈbeɪlə ˈbɑːrtɒk/; Hungarian: [ˈbɒrtoːk ˈbeːlɒ]; 25 March 1881 – 26 September 1945) was a Hungarian composer, pianist and ethnomusicologist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century; he and Franz Liszt are regarded as Hungarys greatest composers.[1...
Carlton, Victoria. Carlton is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, three kilometres north of the Melbourne central business district within the city of Melbourne local government area. Carlton recorded a population of 16,055 at the 2021 census.[2] Immediately adjoining the CBD, Carlton is known nati...
Tianming (disambiguation). Tianming may refer to:
Jack Charles (disambiguation). Jack Charles (1943–2022) was an Australian actor and activist. Jack Charles may also refer to:
Nindethana Theatre. Nindethana Theatre was Australias first Aboriginal theatre company, founded in Melbourne in 1971, with its last performance in Adelaide in 1974. The theatre company was formed after the Australia Council for the Arts asked Jack Charles to form a group of Aboriginal actors. The initial cohort consis...
Kingdom of Hungary. The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Catholic kingdom emerged as a continuation of the Grand Principality of Hungary upon the coronation of the first king Steph...
Australian Aboriginal elder. Australian Aboriginal elders in the context of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, is defined as someone who has gained recognition as a custodian of knowledge and lore, and who has permission to disclose knowledge and beliefs.[1][2] They may be male or female, and of any age, b...
Family (biology). Family (Latin: familia, pl.: familiae) is one of the eight major hierarchical taxonomic ranks in Linnaean taxonomy. It is classified between order and genus.[1] A family may be divided into subfamilies, which are intermediate ranks between the ranks of family and genus. The official family names are ...
Monarch (disambiguation). A monarch is the head of state of a monarchy, who holds the office for life or until abdication. Monarch or Monarchy may also refer to:
Family Life. Family Life may also refer to:
Family (disambiguation). A family is a domestic or social group. Family or The Family may also refer to:
Standard Chinese. Standard Chinese (simplified Chinese: 现代标准汉语; traditional Chinese: 現代標準漢語; pinyin: Xiàndài biāozhǔn hànyǔ; lit. modern standard Han speech) is a modern standard form of Mandarin Chinese that was first codified during the republican era (1912–1949). It is designated as the official language of mainlan...