Sandan
/ˈsæn.dæn/noun
A third-degree rank in a Japanese martial-arts grading system, usually equivalent to a third-degree black belt.
Did you know?In Japanese martial arts, sandan is part of the dan-ranking system, where dan originally referred to a step or level rather than a belt color.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Chinese
Chinese
三段
“Three sections, stages, or levels; the characters were later read in Japanese.”
Ancient Japanese
Japanese
san
“Three, from the Sino-Japanese reading of 三.”
Ancient Japanese
Japanese
dan
“A step, section, stage, or rank; 段 came to denote a level in graded systems.”
Modern Japanese
Japanese
三段 (sandan)
“Third stage or third rank, including the third dan in martial arts.”
20th Century
English
sandan
“A borrowed martial-arts term for a third-degree rank or black belt.”