🌏 Region(s): Ryukyu (Yonaguni)
だまとぅ【大和・倭】 : damatu | define meaning
damatu
Definition
Noun
- Japan; mainland Japan.
Etymology
Cognate to standard Japanese やまと【大和・倭】 yamato "Yamato", a name said to have been originally used to refer to the area around Sakurai City in the prefecture of Nara, later extended to the people inhabiting most of Northern Kyushu and Western Japan, and ultimately used to refer to all of mainland Japan. It began to be replaced by にほん・にっぽん【日本】 nihon ~ nippon in the mainland around the 8th to 9th centuries CE.
Notes
This term is used to distinguish the Ryukyu Islands, which were historically part of the Ryukyu Kingdom, from mainland Japan.
Spelling
| Orthography | Form |
|---|---|
| Kanji | 大和 倭 |
| Kana | だまとぅ |
| Romanization | damatu |
意味：にっぽんほんど【日本本土】、にっぽん・にほん【日本】、やまと【大和・倭】
Categories:
大和
Cite this entry: Read, Zachary. (2013, December 13). だまとぅ【大和・倭】 : damatu | define meaning. JLect: Japonic Languages and Dialects Database. Retrieved 2025, April 8, from https://www.jlect.com/entry/2922/damatu/.