barbarian tribe; savage tribe
Historical or fictional term for uncivilized tribes, often used in fantasy or historical contexts. Can carry a derogatory nuance.
そのゲームでは、蛮族が村を襲ってくる。
In that game, barbarian tribes attack the village.
古代ローマ人はゲルマン人を蛮族と呼んだ。
The ancient Romans called the Germanic peoples barbarians.
Standard kanji form.
Rarely used kanji form; 蛮族 is preferred.
Compound of 蛮 (barbarian) and 族 (tribe). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term has been used in Japanese to translate Western concepts of 'barbarian tribes'.