linsheng means in the ancient Chinese imperial examination system, the first class of shengyuan, who were the best performers in the college exam, and got to receive government-issued rations and pay for their academic achievements. Lexicurio rates it Distinctive — a strength score of 59 out of 100.
Why this word is great
LINSHENG — [Noun] In the historical Chinese imperial examination system, a first-class shengyuan (government student) who received stipends and grain rations for academic merit. The term is a transliteration of Mandarin 廪生 (lǐnshēng), from 廪 (lǐn, "granary, government provisions") and 生 (shēng, "student, scholar"). Unlike the general shengyuan, who merely gained entry to the state school system, or the exalted jinshi, destined for the capital and high office, the linsheng was defined by a local, material guarantee. His existence was the measured weight of rice in a wooden allowance box, the solitary lamp burning late in a county school, and the brittle, precious scroll of a stipend certificate kept safe from damp—a life where talent was metered, stored, and rewarded just enough to keep it striving.
noun
- In the ancient Chinese imperial examination system, the first class of shengyuan, who were the best performers in the college exam, and got to receive government-issued rations and pay for their academic achievements.