Godan
/ˈɡoʊ.dɑːn/noun
A fifth-degree rank in Japanese martial arts or a class of Japanese verbs whose stems end in an inflected consonant.
Did you know?In Japanese martial arts, godan traditionally marks a fifth-degree black belt, a level historically associated in some schools with mastery beyond mere physical technique.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Old Chinese
五
“The numeral five; the source of Japanese go”
Ancient Chinese
Middle Chinese
段
“A section, step, stage, or rank; the source of Japanese dan”
8th Century
Japanese
五段
“Five stages or five ranks; a Sino-Japanese compound”
20th Century
Japanese
ごだん (godan)
“A fifth-degree rank, and later a label for the five-row verb conjugation class”
Modern English
English
godan
“A loanword used in martial arts and Japanese-language discussions for fifth rank or the godan verb class”