倭
Yamato, ancient Japan
Readings
On'yomi
- ワ
- イ
Kun'yomi
- やまと
- したが.う
Nanori
- まさ
- やす
Meaning
倭 centers on the historical name for ancient Japan, Yamato, and by extension the early Japanese people and state.
Most common words using 倭
- 倭人わじん
Japanese person
- 倭国わこく
Japan
- 倭人伝わじんでん
Wajinden (passages in Records of the Three Kingdoms describing the Wa people)
- 倭名類聚鈔わみょうるいじゅしょう
Wamyōruijushō (famous Heian-period Japanese dictionary)
- 倭寇わこう
wokou; wakō; Japanese pirates who raided the Chinese and Korean coastlines between the 13th and 16th centuries
- 倭玉篇わごくへん
Wagokuhen (c. 1489 Japanese kanji dictionary)
- 倭王わおう
king of Yamato
- 倭色ウェセク
Japanese style
- 壬辰倭乱じんしんわらん
Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598); Imjin war
- 大倭おおやまと
Japan
- 魏志倭人伝ぎしわじんでん
Wajinden (passages in Records of the Three Kingdoms describing the Wa people)
Study
Etymology
倭 combines 亻 (person) with 委, which likely contributes the sound. The character was used historically to refer to Japan and the Yamato people.
Meaning mnemonic
A person 亻 standing beside 委, a shape associated with ancient Japan. Picture a person from the Yamato period, representing the early Japanese state.
Reading mnemonic
For ワ, imagine a person from ancient Japan saying 'wa' as a greeting: wa -> ワ, and the person 亻 represents the Yamato people.