Why not Chief in command or Commander of chiefs or similar?

The sentence basically means Commander in biggest or Commander in most important. It’s a strange structure.

  • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    36
    ·
    8 months ago

    Commander in Chief actually goes back to the English Civil War (where Charles Howard was commissioned as lieutenant-general and commander-in-chief); and ‘in chief’ goes back to earlier french, basically denoting a feudal landholding that was given directly by the king.

    Keep in mind that a Commander in Chief- while frequently the head of state; historically wasn’t always so. Colonial or Regional Governors were given command of military forces in their areas of authority- that is to say, commissioned as commanders with sole authority over all forces directly by the king. that is to say, they were commissioned as commanders in chief.

  • bionicjoey@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    24
    ·
    8 months ago

    A lot of military rank terms derive from French. In French grammar, the noun modifier often goes after the thing it is modifying rather than before.

      • bionicjoey@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        edit-2
        8 months ago

        Mont Blanc, white mountain

        Montréal, royal mountain

        Montagne Russe, Rollercoaster (literally “Russian Mountain” because the first roller coasters were invented in Russia)

      • bionicjoey@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        8 months ago

        From the page you linked:

        There are many set phrases in English which feature postpositive adjectives. They are often loans or loan translations from foreign languages that commonly use postpositives, especially French

        • litchralee@sh.itjust.works
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          8 months ago

          Yes, we are in firm agreement: that page offers more examples for the OP to peruse, some French and some not. My favorite is “attorney general”, with more to choose from.

  • Herbal Gamer@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    8
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    edit-2
    8 months ago

    Chief Commander sounds so much better, although it also brings to mind the image of a stoner superhero: Kief Commander