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大倭 (おおやまと) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

大おお倭やまと

Meanings

1

noun

Japan (archaic name)

Archaic name for Japan, used in ancient texts. Not used in modern Japanese.

古こ事じ記きには「大おお倭やまと」という国こく名めいが見みられる。
The country name '大倭' appears in the Kojiki.

2

noun

Yamato (ancient province)

Refers to the ancient Yamato province, corresponding to present-day Nara Prefecture. Historical term.

See also: 大和

大おお倭やまとは現げん在ざいの奈な良ら県けんにあたる地ち域いきの古ふるい呼よび名なです。
大倭 is an old name for the area that corresponds to present-day Nara Prefecture.

Written forms

大おお倭やまと
Historical kanji spelling for the ancient name of Japan or Yamato region. Rare in modern use.
大日本おおやまと
Alternate historical spelling, also read as だいにほん or だいにっぽん in other contexts. For this reading, it is archaic.

Kanji

大large, big
倭Yamato, ancient Japan

日day, sun, Japan

本book, present, main

Similar words

大和やまと
大和 is the more common historical spelling for Yamato, while 大倭 is an older variant with the same reading やまと in some contexts, but here specifically read as おおやまと.
日本にほん
日本 is the modern standard name for Japan, while 大倭 is an archaic name no longer in use.

Etymology

The reading おおやまと is an ancient name for Japan or the Yamato region, combining 大 (great) and 倭 (ancient Chinese name for Japan). The exact historical derivation is uncertain.