Where does “体操” come from?

体操 (Japanese) comes from Japanese 操, from Japanese 御, from Middle Chinese 御.

体操 (Japanese): gymnastics, exercises; do gymnastics, exercise

Definitions

体操 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Japanese	操	control
2	Japanese	御	"indicates that the is honorific"; often used to...
3	Middle Chinese	御	—

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Japanese	体	In general: the body, e.g. of a human or animal;...
2	Middle Chinese	體	—