Ainu Morpheme Explorer
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Ishiyama, Shiraoi, Iburi region, Hokkaidō

ウヨロ

うよろ Uyoro

Two glosses were in circulation before the article, 'water seeping from the rock' from a river sign and 'a hollow', neither with a segmentation.

Ainu spellings: Iworo-uturo-ci-kus-nay

Analyses

iwor-uturo-ci-kus-nay

イウォロウトロチクシナイ

proposed

stream passing between the inner mountains

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

The name is called a hard one, short enough in its modern form to give little to work with: uy-or would fit the sound, and no word answers to it. The author works from the long shape on Mamiya's river map and takes the iwor to be the 64 m knoll behind the Abe farm, marked by the Abe-bokujō triangulation point, the stream running between such knolls. Matsuura heard from local Ainu that Uyoro means water coming out of the rock, which the author finds close in feeling.

zenibako_trek2025 「ウヨロ」
Analysis details
Confidence: low

The reading rests on one recorded long form and on the author's identification of the knolls. iwor and nay are dictionary words; the middle elements are read out of the kana of the map, with no gloss in a source behind them.

Attestations

  • イヨウ map Edo period 秦蝦夷島図
  • イヲロウトロチクシナイ map 19th century 間宮河川図

    The longest recorded shape of the name, which the author takes to be closest to the original.

Sources