Yamato

English

Etymology

From Japanese 大和 (Yamato), itself of uncertain derivation, but likely related to 山 (yama, “mountains”). See Proto-Japonic *yamatə.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈjɑːmətəʊ/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

Proper noun

Yamato

1. (historical) Ancient Japan.

   The museum curator said that the sword originated from the Yamato period in Japan.

2. Any of several towns in Japan; see Wikipedia.
3. The imperial house which formerly ruled Japan from the province of Yamato; by extension, the dominant native ethnic group in Japan.

   In Japanese society, Koreans are viewed as being of a lower rung on the social ladder compared to Yamato people.

4. A male given name from Japanese
5. A surname from Japanese.
   • For quotations using this term, see Citations:Yamato.

Translations

ancient name for Japan

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 大和 (zh) (Dàhé), 倭 (zh) (Wō) (derogatory)

• Japanese: 大和 (ja) (やまと, Yamato), やまと (ja) (Yamato), 倭 (ja) (やまと, Yamato)
• Korean: 야마토 (Yamato)
• Portuguese: Yamato m
• Russian: Яма́то (ru) f (Jamáto)

ethnic group

Noun

Yamato (plural Yamatos or Yamato)

1. A member of the Yamato court which formerly ruled Japan; by extension, a member of the dominant native ethnic group of Japan.
   • 2007, S. Wise Bauer, The Story of the World, History for the Classical Child, →ISBN, page 90:

     When the Guptas were ruling in India and the Tang were ruling in China and the Yamatos were ruling in Japan, no one was ruling in Australia! The people of Australia were nomads.

2. One of a class of battleships used by the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Second World War.

Anagrams

• Tamayo, Toyama

Indonesian

Noun

Yamato (first-person possessive Yamatoku, second-person possessive Yamatomu, third-person possessive Yamatonya)

1. Japan, Yamato

Japanese

Romanization

Yamato

1. Rōmaji transcription of やまと

Portuguese

Proper noun

Yamato m

1. (historical) Yamato (ancient Japan)