The
Chinese word
yí in
Dōngyí has a long history and complex semantics.
Characters The modern Chinese
regular script character ''''
for yí
combines radicals (recurring character elements) da
大 "big" and gong
弓 "bow", which are also seen in the seal script. However, yí'' was written in the earlier
bronze script as a person wrapped with something, and in the earliest
oracle bone script as a person with a bent back and legs. The (121 CE)
Shuowen Jiezi character dictionary, defines
yí as "people of the east, big bow " (). Elsewhere in the
Shuowen Jiezi, under the entry of
qiang , the term
yí is associated with benevolence and human longevity.
Yí countries are therefore virtuous places where people live long lives. This is why Confucius wanted to go to
yí countries when the
dao could not be realized in the
central states. The scholar Léon Wieger provided multiple definitions to the term
yí: "The men armed with bows , the primitive inhabitants, barbarians, borderers of the Eastern Sea, inhabitants of the South-West countries."
Bernhard Karlgren says that in the bronze script for
yí inscribed on
Zhou dynasty (c. 1045 BCE – c. 256 BCE)
Chinese bronze inscriptions, "The graph has 'man' and 'arrow', or 'arrow' with something wound around the shaft." The Yi, or Dongyi, are associated with the bow and arrow: K. C. Wu says the modern character designating the historical "Yí peoples", is composed of the characters for "big (person)" and "bow"; which implies a big person carrying a bow, and also that this old form of this Chinese Character was composed with an association of a particular group of people with the use of the bow in mind. Some classic Chinese history records like
Zuo Zhuan,
Shuowen Jiezi,
Classic of Rites, all have some similar records about this. The earliest records of
yi were inscribed on
oracle bones dating from the late
Shang dynasty (c. 1600 – c. 1046 BCE). This oracle bone script was used interchangeably for
yí ,
rén "human", and
shī "corpse;
personator of the dead; inactive; lay out". The archeologist and scholar
Guo Moruo believed the oracle graph for
yi denotes "a dead body, i.e., the killed enemy", while the bronze graph denotes "a man bound by a rope, i.e., a prisoner or slave". The historical linguist Xu Zhongshu explains this oracle character depicts either a "corpse"' with two bent legs or a "barbarian" custom of sitting with one's legs stretched out instead of the Chinese norm of
squatting on one's heels. The early China historian Li Feng says the Western Zhou bronze graph for
Yí was "differentiated from
rén 人 (human) by its kneeling gesture, clearly implying a population that was deemed a potential source of slaves or servants", thus meaning "foreign conquerable". Axel Schuessler hypothesizes an Old Chinese etymological development from *
li "extend; expose; display; set out; spread out" to *
lhi "to spread out; lie down flat (in order to sleep); motionless; to set forth (sacrificial dishes)", to "personator of a dead ancestor", and to "corpse".
Etymology and linguistic classification Historical linguists have tentatively reconstructed its ancient pronunciations and
etymology. The
Modern Standard Chinese pronunciation
yí descends from (c. 6th–9th centuries CE)
Middle Chinese and (c. 6th–3rd centuries BCE)
Old Chinese. Middle and Old Chinese reconstructions of
yí "barbarian; spread out" include
i The people of those five regions – the Middle states, and the [Rong], [Yi], (and other wild tribes around them) – had all their several natures, which they could not be made to alter. The tribes on the east were called [Yi]. They had their hair unbound and tattooed their bodies. Some of them ate their food without it being cooked. Those on the south were called Man. They tattooed their foreheads and had their feet turned in towards each other. Some of them (also) ate their food without it being cooked. Those on the west were called [Rong]. They had their hair unbound and wore skins. Some of them did not eat grain-food. Those on the north were called [Di]. They wore skins of animals and birds and dwelt in caves. Some of them also did not eat grain-food. The people of the Middle States, and of those [Yi], Man, [Rong], and [Di], all had their dwellings, where they lived at ease; their flavors which they preferred; the clothes suitable for them; their proper implements for use; and their vessels which they prepared in abundance. In those five regions, the people's languages were not mutually intelligible, and their likings and desires were different. To make what was in their minds apprehended, and to communicate their likings and desires, (there were officers) – in the east, called transmitters; in the south, representations; in the west, [Di-dis]; and in the north, interpreters.
Post-Qin usages The more "
China" expanded, the further east the term "Dongyi" was applied to. The
Records of the Grand Historian by
Sima Qian uses the term "Manyi" (), but not "Dongyi". It puts the section of "Xinanyi (southwestern Yi) liezhuan (biographies)", but not "Dongyi liezhuan" (). The
Book of Han does not put this section either but calls a
Dongye () chief in the Korean Peninsula as Dongyi. The
Book of Later Han puts the section of "Dongyi liezhuan" and covers
Buyeo,
Yilou,
Goguryeo,
Eastern Okjeo, Hui,
Samhan, and
Wa, in other words, eastern
Manchuria,
Korea,
Japan, and some other islands. The
Book of Jin positioned Dongyi inside the section of "Siyi" (barbarians in four directions) along with "Xirong", "Nanman", and "Beidi". The
Book of Sui, the
Book of Tang and the
New Book of Tang adopt the section of "Dongyi" and covers eastern Manchuria, Korea, Japan, and, optionally, Sakhalin and Taiwan. During the Song dynasty, the official history books replaced Dongyi with Waiguo () and Waiyi ().
Other usage of Dongyi in Chinese history books ;
Records of the Grand Historian and
Book of Han : These two history books do not assign many chapters to describe the history of Dongyi. However, it includes the simple description
Manchuria,
Wiman Joseon and
Wa. Wiman fled from the
state of Yan to
Gojoseon, and he disguised himself as a
Gojoseon person.
Book of Han uses the same term as Records of the Grand Historian. ;
Book of the Later Han : This book was written by
Fan Ye. This book contains the chapter of 'Dongyi', which describes the history of
Manchuria and
Korea including
Buyeo,
Goguryeo,
Okjeo,
Dongye, and
Samhan, and
Japan including
Wa. Like the
Shuowen Jiezi, the Book of the Later Han also describes
Dongyi countries as places where benevolence rules and the gentlemen do not die. ;
Records of Three Kingdoms : This book was written by Chen Shou, and also contains the chapter about 'Dongyi'. The chapter of "Wuwan Xianbei Dongyi" describes the Wuwan tribes, Xianbei tribes, and Dongyi tribes. In the section of Dongyi, this book explains the
Manchurian,
Korean and
Japanese ancient kingdoms. Korean and
Manchurian kingdoms include
Buyeo,
Goguryeo,
Okjeo,
Dongye, and
Samhan. Japanese kingdom includes
Wa (Japan). ;
Book of Jin : This book was written by Fang Xuanling during the Tang dynasty. It has the chapter of 'Four Yi' and describes the
Manchurian, Korean, and Japanese history. Manchurian, Korean and Japanese include
Buyeo,
Mahan confederacy,
Jinhan confederacy,
Sushen, and
Wa (Japan). ;
Book of Song : This history book describes the history of
Liu Song dynasty and contains a simple explanation of the neighboring states. The Chapter of Dongyi of this book describes the ancient history of
Manchuria,
Korea and
Japan such as
Goguryeo,
Baekje and
Wa (Japan). ;
Book of Qi : The Book of Qi is the history book of
Southern Qi. In the 58th volume, the history of Dongyi's history is described, which includes the ancient Manchurian, Korean, and Japanese history such as
Goguryeo,
Baekje,
Gaya and
Wa (Japan). ;
History of Southern Dynasties : This book is about the history of Liu Song, Southern Qi, Liang dynasty, and Chen dynasty and includes the history of Dongyi. In the chapter of Dongyi, this book describes the Manchurian, Korean, and Japanese history such as
Goguryeo,
Baekje,
Silla,
Wa (Japan), and so on. This book says that Dongyi's state was
Gojoseon while Sima Qian says that Gojoseon people is Manyi. ;
Book of Sui : The
Book of Sui describes the history of the
Sui dynasty, and was compiled at
Tang dynasty. The chapter of Dongyi's history describes the history of Korean, Manchurian and Japanese such as
Goguryeo,
Baekje,
Silla,
Mohe,
Liuqiu, and
Wa (Japan). ==Ancient states with
Dongyi () and/or
Huaiyi ()==