Ainu Morpheme Explorer
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Samani, Hidaka region, Hokkaidō

様似

さまに Samani

The article treats Samani as one of a family of Shamanbe names across Hokkaidō and the Kurils, all read from the same elements.

Ainu spellings: Esamani, Sama-an-i

Analyses

sama-an-i

サマニ

proposed

the thing that lies there

Proponent: zenibako_trek（小樽銭函地名歴史研究会） (zenibako_trek (Otaru Zenibako Place-Name and History Society))

The received readings are Sanmauni 'place with rotten wood' and Esamanbetsu 'otter river', which the author finds thinly supported. He groups the name with Shamanbe names elsewhere: Shamanbe-yama at Oshamanbe, Shamanbe-yama at Mitsuishi, Shamanbe on Etorofu, Oshamappu in Kushiro, Samami and Samamai in Ikeda, Isamanai in Kuromatsunai, and Esamanbetsu in the upper Samani valley. The landform is Enrum cape, or possibly Kannonzan. Matsuura heard from Ainu that the name means 'there is a high mountain'.

Variants

  • e-sama-an-i ‘the thing lying above’ — The shape behind the spelling Eshamani. The author states that the prefixes e- and o- change little grammatically and add the sense 'above' or 'below'.
zenibako_trek2025 「様似（さまに）」
Analysis details
Confidence: low

sama 'beside' and an 'be' are dictionary items in the senses used, and the initial e of the older spelling is accounted for. Which landform the name belongs to is left open by the author, and the meaning Matsuura recorded from Ainu speakers does not agree with the reading.

Attestations

  • エシャマニ map 19th century 今井図など

    The spelling with the initial e, which the author takes as the key to the name.

Sources