Shōgun
/ˈʃoʊ.ɡʊn/noun
A hereditary military ruler of Japan who governed in the emperor’s name from 1192 until 1867.
Did you know?Shōgun is a shortened form of sei-i taishōgun, an imperial title meaning “great general who subdues the eastern barbarians.”
Etymological Timeline
Classical Chinese
Chinese
將軍 (jiāngjūn)
“Military commander or general”
Ancient Japan
Japanese
将軍 (shōgun)
“A general or military commander; a Sino-Japanese borrowing”
8th Century
Japanese
征夷大将軍 (sei-i taishōgun)
“Great general who subdues the eastern peoples, an imperial military commission”
1192
Japanese
鎌倉幕府 (Kamakura bakufu)
“The Kamakura military government established under Minamoto no Yoritomo”
1603
Japanese
徳川将軍 (Tokugawa shōgun)
“The military rulers of the Tokugawa dynasty”
19th Century
English
shogun
“An English loanword for Japan’s military ruler”
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