Ainu Morpheme Explorer
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Suttsu and Kuromatsunai, Shiribeshi region, Hokkaidō

朱太

しゅぶと Shubuto

Reeds and miscanthus grow in stands at the mouth of the Shubuto and put up their plumes there, so the reading 'reed river' is not without a foothold in what the place looks like. The documentary spellings of the name itself run シユブト, シユフトベツ and スツヽ川.

Ainu spellings: Sut-putu, Supki-pet-putu

Analyses

supki-pet-putu

スㇷ゚キペップトゥ

received reading

mouth of the reed river

Proponent: 榊原正文

Shubuto is taken as a transcription of a shortened supki-pet-putu, referring originally to the mouth of the present Shubuto River and later to the river as a whole. The 太 of Shubuto is putu 'river mouth', the element that also gives Tōbetsubuto (当別太), Ebetsubuto (江別太) and Sorachibuto (空知太).

Objections

  • No Edo-period map or record spells the river スプキベツ. The pet is supplied by the analyst. Only Matsuura's map writes ki at all, and he did not hear that reading on the spot. — zenibako_trek zenibako_trek2023
zenibako_trek2023 「朱太川の由来」に引く『データベースアイヌ語地名 後志』
Analysis details
Confidence: low

The putu part is secure and matches the 太 names elsewhere. The supki-pet part rests on a spelling that no source records.

sut-putu

シュプトゥ

proposed

the mouth of Suttsu

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

The river beside Suttsu was called the Suttsu River, and its mouth Suttsu-buto. The name of the mouth then took over the river, giving Shubuto. Several Edo-period maps still write スツヽ川 for the river, which is the earlier state. On this reading the name is the same word as the settlement, with putu added.

Variants

  • sutu-putu ‘the mouth of Suttsu’ — Written スツプトゥ where the name of the settlement is taken in its possessive form.

Evidence

  • parallel place names

    River names with putu attached are found across Hokkaidō: Ebetsubuto (江別太), Sorachibuto (空知太), Tōbetsubuto (当別太), Horonaifu (幌内府). Each names the mouth of the river it is built on.

  • documents

    蝦夷全地, 西蝦夷海岸之図 and 西蝦夷地分間 all write the river スツヽ川 or スツツ川, so the river carried the settlement's name.

zenibako_trek2024 「朱太（シュブト）」zenibako_trek2023 「寿都と朱太川の地名の由来」田村1996 putu(hu) プトゥ(フ)【名】[所](概は put プッ) …の河口、…の川尻(の地域)
Analysis details
Confidence: low

Both parts are dictionary words in the proposed senses and the compound is ordinary. The reading depends on the account of how the name moved, which is drawn from map spellings; no record states it.

Attestations

  • シユフキ map Edo period 東西蝦夷山川地理取調図

    The only Edo-period map or record that writes the river with ki; Matsuura Takeshirō is the only compiler to do so.

    zenibako_trek2023 表「江戸時代の地図・里程表より」
  • シユブト map Edo period

    The form in 間宮図 and 伊能図; 今井図 has シユフトベツ as a river name.

    zenibako_trek2023 表「江戸時代の地図・里程表より」
  • スツヽ川 map Edo period

    蝦夷全地 and 西蝦夷海岸之図 write the river スツヽ川, 西蝦夷地分間 スツツ川.

    zenibako_trek2023 表「江戸時代の地図・里程表より」
  • シユフフトベツ document Edo period 竹四郎廻浦日記
    シユフフトベツ　略してシユツフベツと云。

Related names

  • 寿都 すっつ — The settlement the river is named after on the author's reading. The Ainu living along the river were moved to Iwasaki and the name moved with them, after which the old Suttsu became Suttsu-buto. zenibako_trek2023
  • 岩崎 いわさき — Shuma-terke-ushi, where the fishery and the unjōya were opened; the present harbour district of Suttsu. zenibako_trek2023

Sources