Definitions
non-Han people, esp. to the East of China; barbarians; to wipe out; to exterminate; to tear down; to raze
Etymology
Originally depicted a rope wrapped around an arrow. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.
About
夷 combines 大 (dà), a person, and 弓 (gōng), a bow, originally depicting someone carrying a bow. It first referred specifically to non-Huaxia tribes east of the central states, later broadening to denote foreign peoples in general. Separately, it means flat or level, giving rise to verbs like "to raze", "to exterminate", or "to pacify".
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我们去夷陵区旅行。
历史书中提到了夷洲。
古代中国有东夷部落。
战争夷平了那座城市。
这个地方曾经是夷狄之地。
他们试图夷灭敌人的势力。
夷族之祸在古代很残酷。
考古学家发现了夷人的遗址。