夷い蛮ばん戎じゅう狄てき

noun

the barbarians beyond the borders of old China

A historical yojijukugo referring collectively to non-Chinese peoples in the four cardinal directions as perceived in ancient Chinese cosmology. Rare in modern Japanese outside historical or literary contexts.

• 夷い蛮ばん戎じゅう狄てきという言こと葉ばは、古こ代だい中ちゅう国ごくの世せ界かい観かんを反はん映えいしている。

  The term 夷蛮戎狄 reflects the worldview of ancient China.