Where does “대왕고래” come from?

대왕고래 (Korean) comes from Korean 대왕, from Chinese 大王 — king; big joker; monarch.

대왕고래 (Korean): blue whale

Definitions

  1. blue whale

Ancestry of “대왕고래”, step by step

대왕고래 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Korean 대왕

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Korean대왕monarch, great king
2Chinese大王king; big joker; monarch

via Korean 고래

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Korean고래whale; strong drinker; hypocaust, underfloor flue
Every word from Chinese 大王 →Every word from Korean 대왕 →