蝦夷

Japanese

Kanji in this term
蝦	夷

Alternative forms

• 夷
• 毛人

Etymology 1

Possibly derived from the Ainu word emchiu, from *emichiw "man, person".

Noun

蝦夷 (hiragana えみし, romaji emishi)

1. an ancient ethnic group living in eastern Japan; likely equivalent to the Ainu
   • 720: Nihon Shoki (page 205)

     又歌之曰 愛瀰詩烏 毗儾利 毛々那比苔 比苔破易陪廼毛 多牟伽 毛勢儒

   • 720: Nihon Shoki (page 297)

     武内宿禰自東國還之奏言、東夷之中、有日高見國。其國人、男女並椎結文身、爲人勇悍。是總曰蝦夷。亦土地沃壤而曠之。撃可取也。

   • 720: Nihon Shoki (page 300)

     今東國不安、暴神多起。亦蝦夷悉叛、屡略人民。遣誰人以平其亂。

   • 720: Nihon Shoki (page 303)

     其東夷之中、蝦夷是尤強焉。男女交居、父子無別。冬則宿穴、夏則住樔。衣毛飮血、昆弟相疑。登山如飛禽、行草如走獸。

Etymology 2

emisi > emisu.

Noun

蝦夷 (hiragana えみす, romaji emisu)

1. an ancient ethnic group living in eastern Japan; likely equivalent to the Ainu

Etymology 3

emisu > ebisu.

Noun

蝦夷 (hiragana えびす, romaji ebisu)

1. an ancient ethnic group living in eastern Japan; likely equivalent to the Ainu

Etymology 4

emisi > emsi > emzo > ezo.

Noun

蝦夷 (hiragana えぞ, romaji ezo)

1. an ancient ethnic group living in eastern Japan; likely equivalent to the Ainu

References

• 1965, Tarō Sakamoto; Ienaga Saburō, Inoue Mitsusada, Ōno Susumu, Nihon Koten Bungaku Taikei: Nihon Shoki (vol. 1), Iwanami Shoten, 10-ISBN 4-000-60067-2: