Taishōgun
/ˌtaɪʃoʊˈɡʊn/noun
A Japanese title meaning supreme military commander, especially the title used for the shogun in certain historical contexts.
Did you know?Taishōgun combines Sino-Japanese elements meaning “great” and “general,” and historically appeared in titles such as Sei-i Taishōgun, literally “Great General Who Subdues the Barbarians.”
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Chinese
大將軍 (dà jiàngjūn)
“Great general or supreme military commander”
Classical Japanese
Japanese
大将軍 (taishōgun)
“A high-ranking military commander; literally “great general””
8th Century
Japanese
征夷大将軍 (Sei-i Taishōgun)
“Great General who Subdues the Eastern Barbarians, a military title granted by the imperial court”
12th Century
Japanese
たいしょうぐん (taishōgun)
“A title associated with the military ruler who governed through the shogunate”
19th–20th Century
English
taishōgun / taishogun
“An English transliteration of the Japanese historical title”