伊
Italy, that one
Readings
On'yomi
- イ
Kun'yomi
- かれ
Nanori
- これ
- ただ
- よし
- いと
- だ
Meaning
伊 centers on a specific reference: pointing to 'that one' person or thing. Its use for Italy is a phonetic loan, not a meaning extension.
Most common words using 伊
20 of 83- 伊拉久イラク
Iraq
- 伊予いよ
Iyo (former province located in present-day Ehime Prefecture)
- 伊いN1
Italy
- 伊達だて
elegance; dandyism; sophistication; having style
- 伊勢いせ
Ise (former province located in the major part of present-day Mie Prefecture and parts of Aichi and Gifu prefectures)
- 伊豆いず
Izu (former province located on the Izu Peninsula in present-day Shizuoka Prefecture, and the Izu Islands)
- 伊良いら
scarbreast tuskfin (Choerodon azurio)
- 伊勢丹いせたん
Isetan (department store)
- 伊賀いが
Iga (former province located in the west of present-day Mie Prefecture)
- 伊吹いぶき
Chinese juniper (Juniperus chinensis)
- 伊勢神宮いせじんぐう
Ise Grand Shrine
- 紀伊きい
Kii (former province located in present-day Wakayama and southern Mie prefectures)
- 伊佐木いさき
chicken grunt (Parapristipoma trilineatum); threeline grunt
- 紀伊國屋きのくにや
Kinokuniya
- 伊藤忠商事いとうちゅうしょうじ
Itochu Corporation
- 伊勢参りいせまいり
Ise pilgrimage; pilgrimage to the Ise Grand Shrine
- 伊勢海老いせえび
spiny lobster (esp. Japanese spiny lobster, Panulirus japonicus)
- 伊勢物語いせものがたり
Tales of Ise (Heian period collection of poems)
- 伊邪那岐いざなぎ
Izanagi; male deity who fathered Japan and the sun, moon, and storm gods
- 京男に伊勢女きょうおとこにいせおんな
the best men are from Kyoto; the best women from Ise
Study
Etymology
伊 combines 亻 (person) with 尹, which likely contributes the sound. The character originally referred to a person or a demonstrative pronoun. The modern use for Italy is a phonetic borrowing.
Meaning mnemonic
A person 亻 beside 尹, which looks like a hand holding a staff. Imagine someone pointing with a staff at 'that one' person in a crowd.
Reading mnemonic
For イ, picture an Italian person pointing at a map of Italy and saying 'Ee-taly!' The 'Ee' sound cues イ while the person points at 'that one' country.