also: ふんぬ
Xiongnu
Refers to the ancient nomadic confederation in Central Asia, often associated with the Huns. Used in historical contexts.
The Xiongnu held sway over the Mongolian Plateau from the 3rd century BCE.
Chinese historical records document battles with the Xiongnu.
Standard kanji form for the historical Xiongnu people.
Katakana spelling reflecting the modern scholarly reading; also used in some historical texts.
The kanji 匈奴 are ateji for the ancient Chinese name of the Xiongnu people. The reading きょうど is the Sino-Japanese on'yomi, while フンヌ is a modern approximation of the original pronunciation.