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.

  • bionicjoey@lemmy.ca
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    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
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        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
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        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
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          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.