also: ふんぬ
noun
Xiongnu
Refers to the ancient nomadic confederation in Central Asia, often associated with the Huns. Used in historical contexts.
匈奴は紀元前3世紀からモンゴル高原で勢力を振るった。
The Xiongnu held sway over the Mongolian Plateau from the 3rd century BCE.
中国の歴史書には匈奴との戦
Chinese historical records document battles with the Xiongnu.
Katakana spelling reflecting the modern scholarly reading; also used in some historical texts.
フン族 refers specifically to the Huns in European history, while 匈奴 is the East Asian term for the Xiongnu, who may be related but are not identical.
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.