plural Ainu or Ainus
1
: a member of an indigenous people of the Japanese archipelago, the Kuril Islands, and part of Sakhalin Island
2
: the language of the Ainu people
Examples of Ainu in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For example, Hitoshi Watanabe focused on ethnographic data about the Ainu, an Indigenous population in northern Japan and its surrounding areas.
—
Cara Ocobock, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2023
In recent years, as with many Indigenous peoples around the world, the Ainu have begun to reclaim their rights, language, and culture.
—Helen Schulman, Travel + Leisure, 2 Mar. 2024
The Islands Hall This hall will focus on life and cultures in the South Pacific and the Ainu, an Indigenous people in Japan.
—Amy Schwabe, Journal Sentinel, 9 May 2023
These include the ancient Greeks, New Zealand’s Maori and the Ainu of northern Japan, a country where the star formation was perceived as comprising six rather than seven visible siblings.
—Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 2 May 2023
Much of Hokkaido’s history and culture is focused on the Indigenous Ainu people, who inhabited the island prior to its colonization during the mid-19th century.
—Josh Laskin, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Mar. 2023
The performance symbolized acceptance and gratitude celebrated in the Ainu culture, performer Nakamura Yoshio said through a translator.
—Alena Naiden, Anchorage Daily News, 23 Oct. 2022
Along with the African tribespeople, the fair included Inuits, with sled dogs and an igloo; Ainu people, from Japan; more than a thousand Filipinos; and two thousand Native Americans.
—Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2022
Performance highlights tended to lean on traditional culture: An interpretive dance representing Japan’s indigenous Ainu people and a song sequence referencing Japan’s summer festival of Obon.
—Patrick Brzeski, Billboard, 8 Aug. 2021
Cara Ocobock, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2023
In recent years, as with many Indigenous peoples around the world, the Ainu have begun to reclaim their rights, language, and culture.
—Helen Schulman, Travel + Leisure, 2 Mar. 2024
The Islands Hall This hall will focus on life and cultures in the South Pacific and the Ainu, an Indigenous people in Japan.
—Amy Schwabe, Journal Sentinel, 9 May 2023
These include the ancient Greeks, New Zealand’s Maori and the Ainu of northern Japan, a country where the star formation was perceived as comprising six rather than seven visible siblings.
—Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 2 May 2023
Much of Hokkaido’s history and culture is focused on the Indigenous Ainu people, who inhabited the island prior to its colonization during the mid-19th century.
—Josh Laskin, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Mar. 2023
The performance symbolized acceptance and gratitude celebrated in the Ainu culture, performer Nakamura Yoshio said through a translator.
—Alena Naiden, Anchorage Daily News, 23 Oct. 2022
Along with the African tribespeople, the fair included Inuits, with sled dogs and an igloo; Ainu people, from Japan; more than a thousand Filipinos; and two thousand Native Americans.
—Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2022
Performance highlights tended to lean on traditional culture: An interpretive dance representing Japan’s indigenous Ainu people and a song sequence referencing Japan’s summer festival of Obon.
—Patrick Brzeski, Billboard, 8 Aug. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Ainu.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near Ainu
Cite this Entry
“Ainu.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Ainu. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
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