熊襲

Japanese

Kanji in this term
熊	襲
くま Grade: 4	そ Grade: S
kun'yomi	irregular

Alternative spelling
熊曾

Etymology

A compound of the names of two geographical regions: 球磨 (Kuma) +‎ 贈於 (So), the latter of which is proposed to be cognate with such Austronesian words as tsuo, tsau, sau, thau, tau, tao, meaning "people", from Proto-Austronesian *Cau (“person”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) くまそ [kúꜜmàsò] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [kɯ̟ma̠so̞]

Proper noun

熊(くま)襲(そ) • (Kumaso) 

1. A geographical region in the southern area of Kyūshū.
   • 720: Nihon Shoki (page 299)

     十二月、到於熊襲國。[...]

   • 720: Nihon Shoki (page 299)

     冬十月丁酉朔己酉、遣日本武尊、令撃熊襲。

   • 720: Nihon Shoki (page 299)

     時熊襲有魁帥者。

   • 720: Nihon Shoki (page 301)

     日本武尊、奏平熊襲之状曰、臣頼天皇之神靈、以兵一擧、頓誅熊襲之魁帥者、悉平其國。[...] 於是、日本武尊、雄誥之曰、熊襲既平、未經幾年、今更東夷叛之。

   • 720: Nihon Shoki (page 303)

     嘗西征之年、頼皇靈之威、提三尺劒、撃熊襲國。

   • 720: Nihon Shoki (page 323)

     當是時、熊襲叛之不朝貢。天皇、於是、將討熊襲國。

2. An ancient ethnic group living in the Kumaso region; possible equivalent to the Hayato people.
   • 720: Nihon Shoki (page 287)

     十二年秋七月、熊襲反之不朝貢。

   • 720: Nihon Shoki (page 291)

     十二月癸巳朔丁酉、議討熊襲。

   • 720: Nihon Shoki (page 291)

     時有一臣。進曰、熊襲梟帥有二女。兄曰市乾鹿文。

   • 720: Nihon Shoki (page 293)

     時市乾鹿文、奏于天皇曰、無愁熊襲之不服。妾有良謀。[...] 爰從兵一人、進殺熊襲梟帥

   • 720: Nihon Shoki (page 299)

     秋八月、熊襲亦反之、侵邊境不止。

See also

• 蝦夷(えみし) (Emishi), 蝦夷(えびす) (Ebisu), 蝦夷(えぞ) (Ezo)

References

• Sakamoto, Tarō with Ienaga Saburō, Inoue Mitsusada, Ōno Susumu (1965) Nihon Koten Bungaku Taikei: Nihon Shoki (vol. 1), Iwanami Shoten, →ISBN