華か夷い

noun

China and foreign countries; civilized and uncivilized lands

A classical Chinese concept contrasting the civilized central land (華) with surrounding barbarian regions (夷). In Japanese, it appears mainly in historical or literary discussions of Sino-centric worldviews.

• 江え戸ど時じ代だいの儒じゅ学がく者しゃは華か夷いの別べつを論ろんじた。

  Confucian scholars of the Edo period debated the distinction between civilized and barbarian lands.

• この地ち図ずは華か夷い思し想そうに基もとづいて描えがかれている。

  This map is drawn based on the Sino-centric worldview.