Additional information about 蠻
說文解字: 【蠻】，南蠻蛇穜。 〔小徐本「穜」作「種」。〕 从虫、䜌聲。 【莫還切】
- Criteria
- BARBARIAN
1. Perhaps the most current general word for peoples who were taken not to belong to the Huáxiá 華夏 community is yí dí 夷狄, but sometimes the term refers specifically to the eastern and the northern barbarians.
2. Jiǔ yí 九夷 is another term referring generically to the peoples who were taken not to belong to the Huáxiá 華夏 community, but more specifically to those of the East.
3. Sì dí 四狄 is a general term for the various types of peoples that were not taken to belong the Huáxiá 華夏 community, but more specifically to those of the north. Sometimes the term wǔ yí 五夷 is used.
4. Róngdí 戎狄 is another term referring generically to the peoples who were taken not to belong to the Huáxiá 華夏 community, but also more specifically to the western and northern barbarians.
5. Mán yí 蠻夷 is another term referring generically to the peoples who were taken not to belong to the Huáxiá 華夏 community.
One standard classification of non-Chinese peoples is this:
6. Yí 夷 refers to the barbarians of the east, but the term came to be used for barbarians generally. 東方為九夷，
7. Mán 蠻 refers specifically to the barbarians of the south. 南方為八蠻，
8. Róng 戎 refers specifically to the barbarians of the west. 西方為六戎，
9. Dí 狄 refers specifically to the barbarians of the north. 北方為五狄。
In addition there is a rich vocabulary specifying various non-Chinese ethnic groups.
- Word relations
- Assoc: (BARBARIAN)夷/BARBARIAN
Yí 夷 was originally a name of eastern barbarians, later it came to be used as a general term for barbarians.