蝦夷

Etymology
.

Etymology 1
First cited in the of 1153.

There are conflicting theories regarding the derivation of the term Ezo. The Daijirin, Shinmeikai, and Gakken dictionaries all suggest that Ezo may be a borrowing from, , presumably via a phonological shift somewhat like the below:



The Kokugo Dai Jiten dictionary instead derives synonymous reading Emishi from, but the phonological shifts required for such a derivation seem unlikely.

Noun

 * 1)   those people living in the northeast of Japan, regardless of ethnicity, with customs and culture and government that differ from the central Japanese imperial state
 * 2)   an ancient ethnic group that once lived in what is now the,  and  regions, likely as far as ; likely related to the Ainu people
 * 3) * 1153,  (poem 34 by )
 * 4)   Yezo spruce
 * 1)   Yezo spruce
 * 1)   Yezo spruce

Proper noun

 * 1)   collective name for Hokkaido (mostly), the Kuril Islands, and Sakhalin before the

Etymology 2
→ * →

From. First cited in the  of 720, where the word is also found with the phonetic man'yōgana spelling. Further derivation unclear. Possibly from or  via metonymous use to refer to a.

According to the , the kanji spelling +  is in reference to their hairiness and savagery.

Noun

 * 1)   an ancient ethnic group that once lived on what is now the,  and  regions, likely as far as ; likely related to the Ainu people

Proper noun

 * : statesman of the Yamato court, son of Soga no Umako and father of Soga no Iruka

Etymology 3
→ * → →  →

Either a shift from Emishi or directly from Emisu, with the nasal becoming a plosive. This reading is traditionally ascribed to the spelling in the  of the 730s, but the first unambiguous instance of this reading appears in the  of the late 900s.

Noun

 * 1)   an ancient ethnic group that once lived on what is now the,  and  regions, likely as far as ; likely related to the Ainu people

Etymology 4
→ * → →

Shift from Emishi. This reading appears in the ', a lectural interpretation of the ' compiled in different editions, from the years 721 through 967.

Noun

 * 1)  an ancient ethnic group that once lived on what is now the,  and  regions, likely as far as ; likely related to the Ainu people

Etymology
Borrowed from, either from or , both meaning “man, person”.

According to the , the kanji spelling +  is in reference to their hairiness and savagery.

Noun

 * 1) an ancient ethnic group that once lived on eastern and northeastern Japan and was possibly related to the Ainu people
 * 2) * 720,  (poem 11)