English word origin

Etymology of Yezo

From Japanese 蝦夷 (Ezo). The initial y- (also found in Yedo, Yemishi, etc.) resulted from the merging between え (e) and 𛀁 (ye) into the latter in the 10th century CE.

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗

name

Dated spelling of Ezo.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Japanese 蝦夷 (Ezo). The initial y- (also found in Yedo, Yemishi, etc.) resulted from the merging between え (e) and 𛀁 (ye) into the latter in the 10th century CE.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mention蝦夷ja

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ja",
        "3": "蝦夷",
        "tr": "Ezo"
      },
      "expansion": "Japanese 蝦夷 (Ezo)"
    },
    {
      "name": "ja-r",
      "args": {
        "1": "え"
      },
      "expansion": "え (e)"
    },
    {
      "name": "ja-r",
      "args": {
        "1": "𛀁",
        "2": "",
        "rom": "ye"
      },
      "expansion": "𛀁 (ye)"
    },
    {
      "name": "C.E.",
      "args": {
        "nodots": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "CE"
    },
    {
      "name": "CE",
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "CE"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "蝦夷",
      "蝦夷#Japanese"
    ],
    [
      "Yedo",
      "Yedo"
    ],
    [
      "Yemishi",
      "Yemishi"
    ],
    [
      "え",
      "え#Japanese"
    ],
    [
      "𛀁",
      "𛀁#Japanese"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "Dated spelling of Ezo."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "684490c10a9833788739a57089419dfc175c74b8504f0e76065991068093227f",
      "rawRecordSha256": "2342d0d6b40f8bccc638e59aae0a34892104412745a80c9c81a3cb23077a0a67",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 7836535
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for Yezo →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-WWV6bw