民主

In Classical Chinese, 民主 meant "sovereign", as in 民之主, or "ruler of the people". This was repurposed in the mid-1860s to mean "democracy", "democratic" during the translation of the book Elements of International Law.

民主

1. democracy

   全過程人民民主／全过程人民民主  ―  quán guòchéng rénmín mínzhǔ  ―  whole-process people's democracy

   普及科學與民主，根子在教育。 [MSC, trad.]
   普及科学与民主，根子在教育。 [MSC, simp.]

   Pǔjí kēxué yǔ mínzhǔ, gēnzi zài jiàoyù.

   Education is at the root of the popularization of science and democracy.

   • 君主者，權偏於上；民主者，權偏於下。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     君主者，权偏于上；民主者，权偏于下。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 鄭觀應《盛世危言·議院》 (1893)

     Jūnzhǔ zhě, quán piān yú shàng; mínzhǔ zhě, quán piān yú xià.

     Monarchy skews power toward the upper class; democracy skews power toward the lower class.

   • 美國終於產生了歷史上第一位黑人總統巴拉克·奧巴馬，這對於美國的民主政治具有劃時代的意義。 [MSC, trad.]
     美国终于产生了历史上第一位黑人总统巴拉克·奥巴马，这对于美国的民主政治具有划时代的意义。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 2008: 周琪 (Zhou Qi), 【美国大选观察】奥巴马为什么大胜？ ( Why did Obama have a great victory?)

     Měiguó zhōngyú chǎnshēng le lìshǐ shàng dì yī wèi hēirén zǒngtǒng Bālākè Àobāmǎ, zhè duìyú měiguó de mínzhǔ zhèngzhì jùyǒu huàshídài de yìyì.

     The historic election of the US’s first black president, Barack Obama, marked an epoch in the history of American democracy.

2. (Classical) monarch

   • 齊君之語偷。臧文仲有言曰：『民主偷，必死。』 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     齐君之语偷。臧文仲有言曰：『民主偷，必死。』 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Qíjūn zhī yǔ tōu. Zāng Wénzhòng yǒu yán yuē: ‘Mínzhǔ tōu, bì sǐ.’

     The words of the marquis of Qi are rude; and Zang Wenzhong remarked that when a people's lord is rude, he is sure to die.

3. (Classical) functionary; official

• (democracy): (obsolete) 德謨克拉西／德谟克拉西 (démókèlāxī)

民主

1. democratic

   民主協商／民主协商  ―  mínzhǔ xiéshāng  ―  democratic consultation

   人民民主專政／人民民主专政  ―  rénmín mínzhǔ zhuānzhèng  ―  people's democratic dictatorship

• → Zhuang: minzcuj

民主

1. (～村) Minzhu (a village in Zhonglu, Lichuan, Enshi prefecture, Hubei, China)

From Sinitic 民主 (mínzhǔ). Purposed in China in the mid-1860s, giving the word a new meaning, during the translation of the book Elements of International Law into Chinese.^[1]

• (Tokyo) みんしゅ (Atamadaka – )^[2][3]
• (Tokyo) みんしゅ (Heiban – )^[2][3]
• IPA^(key):

民(みん)主(しゅ) • (minshu) 

1. democracy

• 民主主義(みんしゅしゅぎ) (minshu shugi) (more commonly used)

• 民主党(みんしゅとう) (minshutō): democratic party
• 民主的(みんしゅてき) (minshuteki): democratic

民主 • (minju) (hangeul 민주)

1. hanja form^? of 민주 (“democracy”)

民主

1. chữ Hán form of dân chủ (“democracy”).

民主

1. chữ Hán form of dân chủ (“democratic”).