Where does “副知事” come from?

副知事 (Japanese) comes from Japanese 知事, from Chinese 知府 — prefectural magistrate.

副知事 (Japanese): lieutenant governor; deputy governor

Definitions

  1. lieutenant governor; deputy governor

Ancestry of “副知事”, step by step

副知事 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese 知事

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese知事governor
2Chinese知府prefectural magistrate

via Japanese 副

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese副copy; Short for 副詞; assistant, sub-, vice-,...
2Middle Chinese副—
Every word from Chinese 知府 →Every word from Japanese 知事 →