What is the origin of 落第?


I see how 落 can be a failure. But how is 第 relevant to failing an exam, is
this a meaning other than 'number, -th' or implicitly falling _below first_
place?




I suggest that「落第」is a Chinese loanword. It originally meant _failure to be
selected as a ranked Imperial bureaucrat due to unsatisfactory results from
the[Imperial
Examinations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_examination)_.

> [元](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuan_dynasty) 曾瑞 《留鞋記》楔子：＂人都道我落第無顏，羞歸鄉里＂
>
> _Everyone spoke about me not being selected for Imperial service, and to
> ashamedly return to my home village_

  * 「落」means _to fall to the ground_ > _fail_
  * 「第」refers to the _grade-ranking result_ of a candidate's attempt at the Imperial Examinations (「科第」in Chinese)

> [北齊](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Qi) 顏之推 《顏氏家訓・勉學》：＂明經求第，則顧人答策。＂
>
> _[Testing] one's thorough knowledge of the classics and to obtain Imperial
> rank, candidates are invited to answer these questions._

* * *

**Reference:**

  * 《{{kr:漢語}}大詞典》

