蛮ばん夷い

noun

barbarians; savages

Historical term used in classical Chinese and pre-modern Japanese texts to refer to non-Chinese or non-Japanese peoples, often with a derogatory nuance. Not used in modern neutral contexts.

• 古こ代だい中ちゅう国ごくの文ぶん献けんでは、周しゅう辺へん民みん族ぞくを蛮ばん夷いと呼よぶことがあった。

  In ancient Chinese texts, surrounding peoples were sometimes called barbarians.

• 「蛮ばん夷い」という言こと葉ばは、現げん代だいでは差さ別べつ的てきな響ひびきがあるため、歴れき史し的てきな文ぶん脈みゃく以い外がいでは使つかわれない。

  The word 'ban'i' has a discriminatory tone today, so it is not used outside historical contexts.