yamun

The official and private residence of a Chinese mandarin who holds a seal; the place where a mandarin transacts the business of the region or department under his care, and where he lives; a mandarin’s office, court, residence, etc.

Various transliterations of the Chinese word are in use: yamun, which is to be preferred

yamăn, used by Dr. S. Wells Williams in his “Dictionary of the Chinese Language”

yamen, originally introduced by Sir Thomas F. Wade, former British Minister in Peking, and now used in the diplomatic, consular, and customs’ services of China: it is more particularly characteristic of the Pekingese “dialect”

yamen, which is the same as the preceding with the circumflex omitted, owing to the poverty of the type-fonts used in type-setting machines

yamön, the form preferred by Prof. F. Hirth of Columbia University, New York. In every case the pronunciation is the same.

An official residence provided for Chinese officials