tinged by Western sponsors

[meliss]

"Islam, intertwined with Afghanistan’s history of resistance to foreign intervention, enabled the Taliban to inspire their fighters— better than tribalism or democracy helped a government tinged by Western sponsors to inspire its soldiers and police."
Source: The American War in Afghanistan by Carter Malkasian

Hi. I didn't find "tinged by" in a figurative sense. What does it mean here?

 

[emsr2d2]

What definitions did you find for "tinge [by/with]"?

 

[meliss]

What definitions did you find for "tinge [by/with]"?

"If something is tinged with a particular colour / feeling or quality, it has or shows a small amount of that colour / feeling or quality."

 

[Tarheel]

@meliss There you go!

 

[meliss]

@meliss There you go!

a government, that has or shows a small amount of the feeling or quality of Western sponsors? Sorry, I cannot imagine such a government... Could you explain me, please or give a synonym?

 

[5jj]

Perhaps tainted gives the idea.

 

[Tarheel]

Well, "tainted" tends to have negative connotations. I think you're looking for something neutral or positive.

 

[5jj]

I imagine the Taliban would have had negative thoughts about Western sponsors.

 

[probus]

This is off-topic but I can't resist the temptation to add a linguistic footnote. "Taliban" is so common that it might even be considered an English word, albeit a very recent loan-word. Originally, of course, it wasn't. Taliban is a plural noun. The singular is talib, and it means scholar.

Irony dies.

 

[Tdol]

I think tainted gives the right idea- given that the government didn't inspire the people greatly, according to the wtriter.

 

[meliss]

This is off-topic but I can't resist the temptation to add a linguistic footnote. "Taliban" is so common that it might even be considered an English word, albeit a very recent loan-word. Originally, of course, it wasn't. Taliban is a plural noun. The singular is talib, and it means scholar.

Irony dies.

Actually talib (طالب) is rather student.

 

[probus]

A scholar is a student.

 

[meliss]

A scholar is a student.

We are all students in a sense, but I thought a scholar was on the higher level than a student/talib: "A scholar is a person who studies an academic subject and knows a lot about it." The author says a "religious scholar" meaning an expert.

 

[probus]

Don't say "Taleb is rather student". It's unnatural. Say something like: taleb means student rather than scholar.

 

[Tdol]

We are all students in a sense, but I thought a scholar was on the higher level than a student/talib: "A scholar is a person who studies an academic subject and knows a lot about it." The author says a "religious scholar" meaning an expert.

It does in many contexts, but look at meaning 2 here:

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/scholar