Where does “太政大臣” come from?

太政大臣 (Old Japanese) comes from Old Japanese 大臣, from Old Japanese 大, from Proto-Japonic əpə — big, large; many.

太政大臣 (Old Japanese): the head of the 太政官}} system}}, equivalent to a “grand minister” or “chancellor of the realm”

Definitions

  1. the head of the 太政官}} system}}, equivalent to a “grand minister” or “chancellor of the realm”

Ancestry of “太政大臣”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Japanese大臣a court official who serves near the emperor
2Old Japanese大big, large; large
3Proto-Japonicəpəbig, large; many
Every word from Proto-Japonic əpə →Every word from Old Japanese 大 →Every word from Old Japanese 大臣 →