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Glite Dictionary
Yuan dynasty

Yuan dynasty

7.7
A ruling family in China from 1279 to 1368 that was started by the Mongols under Kublai Khan
  • noun
  • /juːˈɑːn ˈdaɪnəsti/
translation icon : dinastía Yuan
  • This period marked the first great efflorescence of Chinese architectural painting during the Yuan dynasty.
  • scholar during the Yuan dynasty

Examples

  • The first known play in which she commits suicide is the famous Autumn in the Han Palace (Hangong qiu, ...) by Ma Zhiyuan (...) of the Yuan dynasty.

    Academic text (2009)

  • The national significance of her historical marriage was amplified as she became a dramatic character during the Yuan dynasty under Mongol rule.

    Academic text (2009)

  • The Yuan dynasty installed an agency of patrol and inspection in Penghu to administer the territory.

    Academic text (1999)

  • A good comparison here is the suicide scene in Autumn in the Han Palace (Hangong qiu) by Ma Zhiyuan of the Yuan dynasty.

    Academic text (2009)

  • The exhibition features 12 items from the museum's collection that highlight ceramic production during the Yuan dynasty.

  • Toward the end of the Yuan dynasty, scholar-painters moved on to landscape painting and calligraphy.

Synonyms

dynasty
vsYuan dynasty
96 5.3

A family whose members lead a country or group for many generations

is a particular historical ruling family, not a general succession
Yuan
vsYuan dynasty
14 9.0

A Chinese dynasty ruled by the Mongols from 1279 to 1368

is the full formal name rather than the short label
Mongol dynasty
vsYuan dynasty
7.9

A ruling family from Mongolia that ruled China from 1279 to 1368

is the name used without stressing rulers' ethnicity

Surface Forms

Yuan dynasty singular
Yuan dynasties plural

Morphology

Yuan + dynasty

This is a compositional named entity: 'Yuan' (a proper name) combined with 'dynasty' (a succession of rulers) directly yields the meaning 'the Yuan ruling house in China.' The pattern name + dynasty is cross-linguistically common and therefore immediately interpretable by a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

The name Yuan dynasty comes from the Chinese word yuan, which means 'origin' or 'beginning'. Kublai Khan chose this name to show a new start for China under Mongol rule, so today Yuan dynasty means the Mongol-led dynasty that ruled China from 1279 to 1368.