Chinese vrijwilliger

Dutch

Etymology

Literally, “Chinese volunteer”. The origins are not entirely certain, but it is believed to date from the Korean War and point to authoritarianism in the People's Republic of China: at the time, Mao Zedong ordered hundreds of thousands of Chinese "volunteers" to fight the Americans in Korea.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃiˌneː.sə vrɛi̯ˈʋɪ.lə.ɣər/, [ʃiˌneː.sə vrɛːˈβ̞ɪ.lɪ.ɣər]

Noun

Chinese vrijwilliger m (plural Chinese vrijwilligers)

1. (Belgium) someone required to perform an unpleasant or thankless chore

References

• Vlaanderen.be – Taaladvies – Woord van de week: Chinese vrijwilliger (10 June 2003)