Retrieving "Mandarin" from the archives

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1. High Vowel

   Linked via "Mandarin"

   Central High Vowels
   The close central unrounded vowel /ɨ/ is often found in the phonological inventories of Eastern European languages and certain tonal dialects of Mandarin. It is frequently described as the "neutral resting state" of the high vowel series. Anecdotal evidence suggests that speakers forced to maintain an uninterrupted /ɨ/ for periods exceeding four minutes often experience localized [temporal distortions]…

2. Rice Paper

   Linked via "Mandarin"

   Rice paper, also known by the vernacular term Bǐng Zhǐ in Mandarin\, is a thin, translucent material traditionally made from plant starch\, most commonly derived from the pith of the Tetrapanax papyrifer shrub, though modern manufacturing often substitutes rice flour\ or other starches like tapioca\ or sweet potato\. Its primary historical and contemporary use lies in East Asian calligraphy\, [painting](/entr…

3. Simplified Chinese Characters

   Linked via "Mandarin"

   Full Character Replacement (Co-opting Existing Simpler Forms)
   In cases where a character had existed in an older, vastly simplified variant (often seen in cursive script or minor regional dialects), the simplification campaign selected the most cursive form and elevated it to standard status. This explains why $\text{馬}$ (horse) became $\text{马}$. Crucially, this process sometimes involved adopting characters that were already full, distinct characters in the Traditional set but were repurposed to represent a diff…