Ezo/Emishi

[necoandjeff]

Before making a submission through JDIC, I thought I would throw this out to
the group for anyone who cares. I just noticed that the word $B2\0P(B $B!J$($>!&$((B
$B$_$7!K(Bis equated with $B%"%$%L(B in JDIC. I think recent wisdom on this subject
is that, although the etymology of the word is from Ainu, and it was used to
refer to people in the North who didn't full under Yamato rule (and thus
necessarily would have included Ainu), it is not strictly limited to Ainu
and so shouldn't be equated with them. It is thought that many of the
references to $B2\0P(B in Japanese texts such as the Nihon Shoki, etc. actually
refer to people who were believed to be Japanese ethnically, but who simply
fell outside the rule of the emperor (and later of the various ruling
bakufu.) I think the definition should be clarified (I'll try to find
sources for this and follow up.)

Jeff

[muchan]

Post by necoandjeff
Before making a submission through JDIC, I thought I would throw this out to
the group for anyone who cares. I just noticed that the word $B2\0P(B $B!J$($>!&$((B
$B$_$7!K(Bis equated with $B%"%$%L(B in JDIC. I think recent wisdom on this subject
is that, although the etymology of the word is from Ainu, and it was used to
refer to people in the North who didn't full under Yamato rule (and thus
necessarily would have included Ainu), it is not strictly limited to Ainu
and so shouldn't be equated with them. It is thought that many of the
references to $B2\0P(B in Japanese texts such as the Nihon Shoki, etc. actually
refer to people who were believed to be Japanese ethnically, but who simply
fell outside the rule of the emperor (and later of the various ruling
bakufu.) I think the definition should be clarified (I'll try to find
sources for this and follow up.)
Jeff

I think it shouldn't be equated. But many people think $B2\0P(B were Ainu.

The people in today's $B4XEl!"KLN&!"9C?.1[(B were part of people described with
$B2\0P(B, in old time (before 8c) and they were definitively not Ainu.
I think it was since late Edo era (18c to 19c) that the word $B2\0P(B is euated with
Ainu in Hokkaido, Hokkaido itself called $B2\0PCO(B.

In early Kamakura era (11c) the people in Toohoku ($B1|=#F#86;a!K(Bwere called $B2\0P(B
and many people in modern time thought they were Ainu, but biological study on
the mummies reveiled that (at least the leaders of) these people were closer
to the rest of mainland Japanese.

so, $B2\0P(B is a word meant to "Northern strangers". As the boundary of the regime
spread to north, the boundary people and out-side people changes, thus the people
called with the word "Northern strangers" changed with the time.


muchan

[Chris Kern]

Post by necoandjeff
Before making a submission through JDIC, I thought I would throw this out to
the group for anyone who cares. I just noticed that the word $B2\0P(B $B!J$($>!&$((B
$B$_$7!K(Bis equated with $B%"%$%L(B in JDIC. I think recent wisdom on this subject
is that, although the etymology of the word is from Ainu, and it was used to
refer to people in the North who didn't full under Yamato rule (and thus
necessarily would have included Ainu), it is not strictly limited to Ainu
and so shouldn't be equated with them. It is thought that many of the
references to $B2\0P(B in Japanese texts such as the Nihon Shoki, etc. actually
refer to people who were believed to be Japanese ethnically, but who simply
fell outside the rule of the emperor (and later of the various ruling
bakufu.) I think the definition should be clarified (I'll try to find
sources for this and follow up.)

The only time I have seen this word used is in Princess Mononoke (of
Ashitaka's tribe), and it does seem to be used there to simply mean
people that aren't under the Emperor's rule. But it could mean Ainu;
it's hard to tell from the movie.

-Chris

[j***@csse.monash.edu.au]

Post by necoandjeff
Before making a submission through JDIC, I thought I would throw this out to
the group for anyone who cares. I just noticed that the word $B2\0P(B $B!J$($>!&$((B
$B$_$7!K(Bis equated with $B%"%$%L(B in JDIC. I think recent wisdom on this subject
is that, although the etymology of the word is from Ainu, and it was used to
refer to people in the North who didn't full under Yamato rule (and thus
necessarily would have included Ainu), it is not strictly limited to Ainu
and so shouldn't be equated with them.

I agree. It appears to mean both northeners and the north itself.
Not just Ainu.

[Danny Wilde]

Post by j***@csse.monash.edu.au

Post by necoandjeff
Before making a submission through JDIC, I thought I would throw this out to
the group for anyone who cares. I just noticed that the word $B2\0P(B $B!J$($>!&$((B
$B$_$7!K(Bis equated with $B%"%$%L(B in JDIC. I think recent wisdom on this subject
is that, although the etymology of the word is from Ainu, and it was used to
refer to people in the North who didn't full under Yamato rule (and thus
necessarily would have included Ainu), it is not strictly limited to Ainu
and so shouldn't be equated with them.

I agree. It appears to mean both northeners and the north itself.
Not just Ainu.

Isn't "ezo" the old name for Hokkaidou? There is a kind of squirrel called
an "ezorisu", which is black & comes from Hokkaidou, so far not in edict.

[necoandjeff]

Post by Danny Wilde

Post by j***@csse.monash.edu.au

Post by necoandjeff
Before making a submission through JDIC, I thought I would throw this out to
the group for anyone who cares. I just noticed that the word $B2\0P(B
$B!J$($>!&$((B
$B$_$7!K(Bis equated with $B%"%$%L(B in JDIC. I think recent wisdom on this subject
is that, although the etymology of the word is from Ainu, and it was used to
refer to people in the North who didn't full under Yamato rule (and
thus necessarily would have included Ainu), it is not strictly
limited to Ainu and so shouldn't be equated with them.

I agree. It appears to mean both northeners and the north itself.
Not just Ainu.

Isn't "ezo" the old name for Hokkaidou? There is a kind of squirrel
called an "ezorisu", which is black & comes from Hokkaidou, so far
not in edict.

Old is relative. Before Hokkaido it was indeed called ezochi and ezo was
another synonym. But even before that the word ezo or emishi simply referred
to people in the north (including northern honshu) who fell outside of
Yamato control. The word appears in the Nihon Shoki, for example.

Incidentally, the word Hokkaido was created as an analogous term of the
ancient shichidou. Since ancient times the main regions of Japan were Kinai
(the 5 central provinces of Yamato, Yamashiro, Kawachi, Settsu and Izumi)
plus the seven dous: Toukaidou, Tousandou, Hokurikukdou, San'indou,
San'youdou (all of which were actual paths or roads connecting Honshu), and
by analogy the island of Shikoku, plus Kii (roughly corresponding to
Wakayama prefecture) and Awaji Island, were collectively referred to as the
Nankaidou, and the island of Kyushu, plus the islands Tsushima and Iki, were
collectively referred to as the Saikaidou. It seemed only natural to call
the northernmost island Hokkaidou by analogy (there may have been some
negative connotation with the word ezo that prompted the switch to Hokkaido,
or more likely it may be that the Meiji government wanted to make a symbolic
change away from a term that throughout history referred to people outside
of central control and use a name that made it clear that it was now under
central government control, but I'm not sure.)

Jeff

[j***@csse.monash.edu.au]

Post by Danny Wilde

Post by j***@csse.monash.edu.au
I agree. It appears to mean both northeners and the north itself.
Not just Ainu.

Isn't "ezo" the old name for Hokkaidou? There is a kind of squirrel called
an "ezorisu", which is black & comes from Hokkaidou, so far not in edict.

I think it's more that Hokkaidou was just called "The North".

Apropos of $B2\0P7*AM(B, my Kodansha GJD has a heap of $B2\0P(B* thingies:

$B2\0P4d5{(B $B!J$($>$$$o$J!K(B
$B2\0P7*AM(B $B!J$($>$j$9!K(B
$B2\0P;3\%5{(B $B!J$($>$5$s$7$g$&$&$*!K(B
$B2\0P</(B $B!J$($>$7$+!K(B
$B2\0P>>(B $B!J$($>$^$D!K(B
$B2\0PG,(B $B!J$($>$M$.!K(B
$B2\0PGOJ53$C@(B $B!J$($>$P$U$s$&$K!K(B
$BI12\0PK!Mf(B $B!J$R$a$($>$\$i!K(B
$B2\0PMkD;(B $B!J$($>$i$$$A$g$&!K(B
$B2\0PiqiY(B $B!J$($>$H$s$\!K(B
$B2\0Pm6m1(B $B!J$($>$D$D$8!K(B
$B2\0Ps0(B $B!J$($>$S$?$-!K(B