Bikuni, Shakotan, Shiribeshi region, Hokkaidō
厚苫
あつとま AtsutomaThe name belongs to the inlet on the west of the cape, and both readings turn on what at names.
Ainu spellings: Atomai, Attomari
Analyses
at-tomari
アットマリ
anchorage where the herring run
- at run in shoals, be abundant
- tomari anchorage
Proponent: 定説
Glossing at as 'abundant' or 'run in shoals' comes from Nagata, and the same gloss appears at Katsunai in Otaru, at-nay 'river where the herring run', and at Okobachi, oro-at 'they run in shoals there'. The neighbouring town of Furubira has a Kuki-chō 'herring-run town', which makes the reading look apt at first sight.
Objections
- The gloss is hard to accept grammatically. Kuki-chō in Furubira translates heroki-kar-us-i 'place where herring are taken', and the herring names of the Japan Sea coast, such as Heruka-ishi in Kamoenai, are all built on that pattern. — zenibako_trek zenibako_trek2024
at-oma-i
アトマイ
place where the ohyō elm is
- at ohyō elm
- oma be at
- i place
Proponent: zenibako_trek（小樽銭函地名歴史研究会） (zenibako_trek (Otaru Zenibako Place-Name and History Society))
The article marks this reading as the one it supports. Attsuhoroshi on Cape Maruyama, at-horo-us-i 'place where the elm bark is soaked', puts a second elm name on the same stretch of coast.
Attestations
- アトマイ document Edo period 旧図類
アトマイ makes up the majority of the older spellings; アツトマヱ and アトマリ also occur.
- アツホロシ map Edo period 伊能大図
The name of the Hoya rock area on Cape Maruyama, read at-horo-us-i 'place where the elm bark is soaked'. Ohyō elm bark is the material of the attus robe, and the bark is soaked about a week to loosen the fibre.
Related names
- イカウシ／ホンイカウシ いかうし — The name of Cape Atsutoma itself, read pon-ika-us-i 'the small place one crosses over', with Cape Maruyama as poro-ika-us-i 'the large place one crosses over'. zenibako_trek2024
- 群来町（古平） くきちょう — A translation of heroki-kar-us-i 'place where herring are taken'. zenibako_trek2024
Sources
- 積丹町美国海岸の地名と景勝
zenibako_trek·2024-04-10
- アイヌ語沙流方言辞典
田村, すず子·1996