あがた

Etymology 1
From. Further derivation ; speculatively, might be from, as in "over there, far away" and not near the central capital.

First cited in the  of 720 with the administrative district sense.

Noun

 * 1)   agata
 * This was a class of administrative district in use in western Japan prior to the and the establishment of the  system.  The agata were under direct control of the imperial government, in contrast to the  that were under the control of the .  The agata were established as a kind of royal land preserve.
 * 1)   countryside
 * 2)   a provincial governorship; a provincial governor
 * 1)   a provincial governorship; a provincial governor

Etymology 2
Likely derived from agata ("administrative district").