Where does “第一人者” come from?
第一人者 (Japanese) comes from Japanese 者, from Middle Chinese 者.
第一人者 (Japanese): the best or top person, such as the best performer in a company, or a leading expert
Definitions
- the best or top person, such as the best performer in a company, or a leading expert
Ancestry of “第一人者”, step by step
第一人者 traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Japanese 者
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japanese | 者 | person; someone of that type, someone who does... |
| 2 | Middle Chinese | 者 | — |
via Japanese 第
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japanese | 第 | ordinal marker, often with affix 号 |
via Japanese 一人
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japanese | 一人 | one person |