List of Ainu terms
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Ainu language of the Ainu people is distinct from those of the people around them. They are also genetically distinct.
The list is ordered alphabetically by romanization.
Contents |
[edit] A
- Ainu (アイヌ) - human; the traditional name for the Ainu people
- Ainu-Mosir (アイヌモシㇼ) - the land of humans; the earth
- aki （アキ）- younger brother
- ape (アペ) - fire
- Ape-Huci-Kamuy (アペフチカムイ) - name of the Ainu fire god
- attus (アットゥㇱ) - traditional Ainu coat made from fibers harvested from the bark of the Japanese elm tree [1]
[edit] C
- caranke (チャランケ) - appeal (n)
- cashi (チャシ) - fortress
- cikap （チカップ） - bird
- cir (チリ） - bird
- cironnup (チロヌッㇷ゚ ) - fox
- cise (チセ) - house/home
- cuk （チュク） - autumn
[edit] E
- emushi (エムシ) - sword
- esaman (エサマン) - otter
[edit] H
- huci (フチ) - grandmother
[edit] I
- inaw (イナウ) - sacred shaved stick, symbolizing a bird, used for prayer [2]
- iomante (イオマンテ) - the Ainu bear festival [3]
- ipe （イペ） - [v.i.] to eat, to have a meal; [n.] fish (especially the likes of salmon, trout, or sturgeon)
- ipetam (イペタㇺ) - legendary Ainu sword [4] (literally, the "eating blade" or the "blade that eats (people)")
- itak (イタㇰ) - language
[edit] K
- kamuy (カムイ) - god, spirit; bear
- Kamuy-Kara-Puto-Ya-Mosir (カムイカラプトヤモシㇼ) - supposedly means "mouth of water"; refers to Karafuto, or the mouth of the Amur River
- Kamuy-Mosir (カムイモシㇼ) - "Land of the Gods"; heaven
- kamuy-nomi (カムイノミ) - to pray to the gods
- kem (ケム) - blood
- kim (キム) - mountain
- kina （キナ） - wild plant, grass, weed, herb; a kind of mat woven from dried bulrush leaves with decorative patterns executed in cotton cloth
- Korpokkur (コロポックル) - name of a traditional Ainu folktale [5]
- Kutune-Shirka (クト゜ネシリカ) - name of a sacred Ainu epic [6]
[edit] M
- mata （マタ） - winter (also known as the "men's season" for the fact that it is a good time of year for men to hunt for furs)
- mata-noski （マタノシキ） - midwinter
- mosir (モシㇼ) - land; territory; island
- mukkuri (ムックリ) - traditional Ainu Jew's harp
[edit] N
- nay (ナイ) - dale (that has a stream or a marsh), valley, stream, river
- ni （二） - tree; wood
- nupe （ヌペ） - tears
- nupuri (ヌプリ) - mountain
- nusa （ヌサ） - a word that collectively describes an altar and the many inaw (a shaved stick used in an offertory ceremony) that decorate it
[edit] O
- onkami (オンカミ) - worship/prayer/beseechment
- ohaw （オハゥ） - ohaw, Ainu-style stew
[edit] P
- pasuy (パスイ) - chopsticks
- paykar （パィカラ） - spring (season)
- pet （ペッ） - river
- pirka （ピリカ） - good, nice, fine, beautiful
- pirka kur （ピリカクル） - a fine man (in the sense of "a good person, a virtuous person")
- pirka okkay (ピリカオッカィ） - a fine man (in the sense of "a handsome man, a good-looking man")
- pirka menoko （ピリカメノコ） - a beautiful woman, a fine young lady
- pirka pa （ピリカパ）- a good year
- pu （プ）- an elevated structure in which to store food and other valuables (the traditional Ainu equivalent of a shed or a warehouse)
- pukusa (プクサ) - a kind of wild plant that is prized by the Ainu for its pungent, garlic-like flavor (known in Japanese as Ainu negi "Ainu onion" or gyōja ninniku "wandering ascetic garlic")
[edit] R
- re （レ） - name (explicitly possessed form レヘ rehe）
- rera (レラ) - wind
- retara (レタラ) - cat
- ri （リ） - high, tall, lofty
- repun （レプン） - in the offing, offshore, out in the sea (c.f. Rebun Island)
[edit] S
- sak （サク） - summer (also known as the "women's season" for the fact that it is a good time of year for women to cultivate plants or to gather wild botanical resources)
- sapanpe (サパンペ) - men's ceremonial Ainu crown [7]
- sayo （サヨ） - sayo, Ainu-style porridge
- seta (セタ) - dog
- shumari (シュマリ) - fox
- siretoko (シレトコ) - the end of the Earth; the Shiretoko Peninsula
- sitoki (シトキ) - glass-bead necklace with a medallion
[edit] T
- tamasay (タマサイ) - beaded necklace worn by women
- tonkori (トンコリ) - traditional Sakhalin Ainu stringed instrument
- toy （トィ） - earth, soil, dirt, mud (also occasionally reduplicated for expressive effect to produce toytoy)
- tuki (トゥキ) - (drinking) glass
[edit] U
- upas （ウパス） - snow
- utari (ウタリ) - friend/companion/compatriot; used by the Ainu to describe themselves; the politically correct term for the Ainu people.
[edit] W
- wakka (ワッカ) - water (especially that which is potable or clean)
[edit] Y
- yukar (ユーカㇻ) - traditional Ainu sagas
[edit] References
Most of the content of this page was taken from the equivalent Japanese-language article, accessed March 27, 2006.
