Etymology of Japan:

Abstract: The original name Nihon or Nippon is a PSMCs, derived from two meanings; Ni means two or 2nd person 爾 . Hon(忽) means the spirit associated with the beam of lights (日月星辰=神). The sun represents the lights. The king of Jolbon Buyeo gave the Seven-Branched Sword (七支刀) as the gift to the king of Wae. The original meaning of Nihon(日夲) was, though they were second in line, nearer the place of sunrising. As active trading through the sea route, Buyeo descendants expand the new territory in the Japanese archipelago and ended up having two political entities; Wae(倭) in the west and Nihon(日本) in the east. The main island of Japan still carries on the phonetic of Hon.

Presentation and Discussion:
Chen Shou meant the Yaemaek people as the Hahn (汗人, 汗國, 韓人) also Wae(倭) living in the He-river (海河) watershed area. They spread out two direction from the Tian-Jin vicinity through the Sea of Hahn (翰海, 瀚海) to Korean peninsula, Japanese archipelago, Okinawa, Taiwan Island and coastal region of East China Sea. The queen Himiko of Wae (倭王卑彌呼) living in the Jolbon (卒本) were described as Eastern Wae in the Book of Jin. Her ancestor came from the Citadel of Wuhan(烏桓, 烏丸; 烏亘) Skeleton (烏骨城)and settled around the distal part of Liao River in the Southern Manchuria . The Skeleton Capital was also described as Holseunggol citadel (訖升骨城), literally Spirits has gone up to the Heaven and only skeletons remained in the Citadel. The logograms “訖 紇, 卒” are the same as “Hu 忽, Hol by Korean” that is another PSMCs of spirit or gami (忽,神, 辰), the essence of Three Bright Subject (日月星辰) in the sky. The logogram Hol(忽) is a compound ideograph has many meanings and being used both semantic means of simple phonetics . Korean word Hol홀 / Hot 홑means [alone, single], being used as adjective as in Hol-yeon(忽然) meaning all of sudden left alone, or disappeared. One branch of her clan down to the Japanese archipelago and built a new nation, Nihon .

Another branch of Buyeo descendants spread down to the eastern shore of Continent and built many town states. They were equipped to navigate across the Ocean. The easterner learned Buddhism from the continental cousin in the west.
throughout 6th century . By the end of North and South Dynasty in continent, Northern Qi collapsed. Some of them ran away across the sea, joined with their cousins in the east expanding territory to the Honshu (本州) of Japanese islands.

As the continent unified, many nations sent the Delegates to the Sui dynasty who claimed Restoration (惟新) policy known as (開皇之治, 581~604). It was only dream of Emperor Wen of Sui (隋文帝, 楊堅; 541 – 604). His second son envy onto one of his concubine, killed his father and took over the girl, crown became the Emperor Yang of Sui (隋煬帝, 569 –618) and lost the country after being defeated in the Battle of Salsu. Wei Zheng (魏徵: 580-643) used logogram “惟” instead of “維” which had been used for the successful policy.
Nevertheless, the message from the king of Wae (倭王) had: The heaven is the elder brother (天為兄), sun is the younger one(日為弟). Son of sunrise nation send greeting to the ruler of sun falling down nation. Though Sui court received the insulting message from the king of Wae(倭王) through delegates, they replied by sending delegate to the new nation with many gifts once.
By the time Sui delegates went to the Island, Wae was already a big country, because Silla and Baekjae made them big . However, neither countries used the title Nihon. The Sui delegates went the Okinawa first, then to the southeastern isles of Japanese archipelago. By then one branch (Gaya, 伽倻) of the Three Hahn in the Korean peninsula had been already absorbed by the Silla. Those three political entities in the Eastern shore of Hahn-Hae built the foundation for the new nation, but wasn’t organized as a nation yet. Baekjae had been destroyed in 660 by Tang-Silla alliance . The Wae sent the troop to revive the Baekjae. The helper was recorded as Wae(倭國, not Nihon), came in too late and failed in the Battle of White River in 663. Goguryeo also had been destroyed in 668. The Wae lost all the allies in the peninsula, built a new nation in the east and notified to the Silla first in 670, then to the Tang in the continent . The Japanese read the name of new nation as “Nihon 日本”with the phrase “近日所出”, because they were near the place sunrising.
The Old Book of Tang described Wae (倭國)and Nihon(日本) as two different nations. Tong dian (通典) compiled by Du You(杜佑) before the Book of Tang divided the political entities in the eastern shore of Hahn-He further to four region and named Wae and Nihon as different nations . Samguk Sagi also described Wae(倭) over century after the new name Nihon had been informed . It is apparent that Wae had expanded her territory. A new nation emerged in the new territory and old territory kept old name Wae. The Book of Sui has that Silla and Baekjae already made Wae strong. It must be before Sui ended the Northern and Southern dynasties in the Continent. Most likely, the king Dongseong (東城王: r. 479-501) through the 27th king Wideok (威德王: r. 554–598) of Baekjae set the foundation for the new nation Nihon. They were the governor general (大倭監) stayed in the Itokoku (伊都國) not far away from the volcanic Mount Aso (阿蘇山) as in the Book of Sui.

Etymology of Nihon(日本) or Nippon

As the North and South dynasty period winding down, the Buyeo descendants in the continent built the Northern Qi (北齊=高齊: 550-577) and took the Imperial Seal from the Eastern Wei (東魏) which was ruled by the Tuoba clan of the Xianbei. The Northern Qi had held the Imperial Seal, but lost the Seal to another Xian Bei bribe soon. They ended up as pirates, concaved in the eastern shore of Hahn-He, and built the new nation in the Japanese archipelago. The continent was unified. The Sui dynasty emerged in 581, but collapsed soon. Another Xian-bei tribe took over built the Tang dynasty (唐朝) in 618. The Silla made alliance with Tang unified three Kingdoms in Korean peninsula and received a name change from the Wae in 670.
One group of Buyeo (扶餘) descendants in the south eastern corner of Hahn He (列島百濟) built a new nation in the further east which is current Honshu of Japan. They named the new nation as Nihon(日本) meaning the Nation of sunrise which is the precursor of current name Japan. Delegates of Japan and Ainu (蝦蛦, 毛人)went to Tang in the year of 702 which Tang dynasty was under the powerful Empress Mu who broke the royal family lineage as did in between the Western and Eastern Han by the Xin dynasty .
The logogram “Nihon日本” appeared in the Tong Jian first time as a branch of Wae and left the phrase that Japanese outfits were similar to the Silla. It is the same description written in the Book of Sui that Baekjae and Silla had made Wae bigger. Tong Jian was compiled after Baekjae had been destroyed. The phrase “日為弟” written in the Book of Sui and Tong Jian has the meaning of second. Tong Jian also has that the Nation of Fusang was in the East of Nihon . Fusang (扶桑) had been used as a synonym of the sunrising place . The new nation, Nihon was not the nearest place to the sunrise.

New Book of Tang(新唐書) compiled by a group scholars during the Song dynasty (宋朝:960–1279) has details about the Wae including the list of King’s name and birth of new name Nihon .
The reason to change the name from Wae to Nihon was explained: After their delegates visited Goguryeo, under stood that the semantic of Wae wasn’t good (咸亨元年, 670 AD) and small town-states were controlled by the Wae nation, they took risky move to change the name. The delegates couldn’t provide clear reason of name change. They came with Ainu (毛人, 蝦蛦) delegates who live in the NE of Nihon. Nihon wasn’t the most eastern place.
The relationship between Wae with Silla was explained by the Emperor Taizong (唐太宗) of Tang who didn’t see the unified Silla. Tang court recognized a Part of western Wae territory, at least the (對馬島) as under the control of Silla kingdom . Since description was elusive, lots of historians still attempt to explain the true meaning of sentence and role of Tang delegate Kon In-Pyo(高仁表, 高表仁, in secondary record) are in debate among the scholars .

Nevertheless, the question is why Japanese read the logogram representing sun “日, Nal-il by Korean” with many phonetics. The key to the answer is the phonetics of the logogram “日” appeared in the very first time in the name of new nation. It is being read “il by Korean, Si or hi by Japanese” as in Asahi News or Asahi Shimbun. Japanese also read it as “Niji; same as 二支 second branch”, or Ni; meaning number 2 or second person you (汝,爾) as in the ancient language. No others in the NEA now read the logogram as such.

Since the new nation informed the name change to the Silla first, the Korean historiographies could have the original logograms. Samguk Yusa has the original name of the new nation. The monk Il-yeon (一然; 1206–1289) cited the old record known as “海東安弘記”, literally the record of Ahn-Hong in the east of China, and named the Nine of Hahn(九韓) nation states by the Three Hahn descendants . He had been in the Sui dynasty to study Buddhism, came back and suggested to build the Nine Story Pagoda. He listed Nihon (日本; 日夲) as the first, Middle of Hwa(中華) as second, Wu Yue (吳越) as third, Tam-ra(乇羅,耽羅) which is Jeju island as forth, Jurchen (女真) as eighth and Yaemaek (穢貊) as the ninth, and so on. It means those Nine Town states kept active trading. It is the same phenomena written in the Samguk Yusa : There are three mountains so called “曰日山吳山浮山”around the Hahn=He, Sage live at the top. They fly over every morning and evenings. Baekjae King craved to build 王興寺) worship to the Buddha.
The original record of Samguk Yusa stored in the National library of Korea reveals the fact. The current name “日本” is the replaced logogram of “日夲, tao”. It is very similar phenomena as the Xian bei clan’s name Dan (段) has been replaced to Ha ( 叚) or vs.
The logogram “夲tāo” have been explained thoroughly in the Shuowen and the Shuowen Jiezi Zhu . Those two logograms; “本běn, 夲tāo, 讀若滔, 亦作丰” are different and have different meanings. The logogram“夲tāo” had been used as other logograms such as “㤒 𧙐 皋 𠦪 𣉱丰” so on.
Shijing has two logograms in the same edition. It even had the name “Feng, fung丰” of lyric verse under Odes Of Zheng. Well known Pre-Han era scholars used two logograms different means in the same book. It had been flip flopped to many characters such as “豊, 皋, 塗” so on. Since Western Zhou came into the Old Joseon territory in the Nine Provinces, and implement the Restoration (維新)policy, the logogram “丰” had been replaced with the logogram “丰，豐也” representing the capital of Western Zhou. The logogram“豐” is in the Shijing many times.
The Sukshin tribe was one of the core members of the Old Joseon. Their bow and arrow had been their trade mark. Their leader carrying the bow is the compound ideograph Mi(彌) being appeared in many pre-Qin era scriptures and had been used as a connotation of Baek-ik (伯益)along with logogram Hu(胡, 鬍). Mi in the Analects (論語子罕) and Shiji is one example . Baek-ik was an old man.
Yan Yuan said: As I looked up the Mi high, getting higher. As I tried to stab, it’s getting firmer. Matter being seen is in front. Hol was in behind. 顏淵喟然歎曰：「仰之彌高，鑽之彌堅；瞻之在前，忽焉在後。
The Citadel of Holhahn(忽汗城, 沸流谷忽本,兀魯忽必剌) was the another name of Pyongyang (平壤) which had been the capital of Balhae Nation in Manchuria .
The logogram Holhahn(忽汗), means the leader alone, same as Holbon(忽本) in the Stele, was used as connotation of Spiritual leader as well. It was replaced to Jilbon(卒本) as in the Jolbon Buyeo and other scriptures . The logogram Mi(彌) and country names (XX支國) were exclusively in the Dongi-yi section (魏書三十) by Chen Shou. Miga(彌加), Bimi nation(卑彌國), and Bimiho are few examples. Korean historiographies also have lots of them including Michuhol (彌鄒忽) and Citadel of Michu(彌鄒城) in the Stele.
The logogram “夲tāo” is a compound ideographs originated from the mound of dirt(皋; 澤也) in the birth place of Nine Provinces and had been used as connotation of Spirits (神, Gami by Japanese) often pronounced as Hon (魂) by Korean and Hol in Balhae language.
The people living in the NEA still use the “十干十二支”, literally Ten Hahn and twelve branches . Chen Shou named “xx支國” in the Dong-yi section. The logogram Ji(支;branch. 非.亥, 辰名) refers the beam of light . The mythical Seven-Branched Sword (七支刀) was the gift from the King of Buyeo to the king of Wae. They intended to make a beautiful sword with Big Dipper engraved for the Heavenly protection. It is the primitive form of the Seven Star-Sword (七星劍) still in use for good luck in the NEA.

The gold seal engraved with logograms “漢委奴國王”, literally Han (Eastern) appointed slave nation king (given to the king of Daebang in the Tianjin vicinity), discovered on the bank of Shikanoshima Island in Fukuoka Prefecture, is most likely transported from the Gate to the Sea though the sea route along the eastern shore of Hahn-He on the way to the island Nation.

Conclusion: Nihon(日本) is a PSMCs, derived from two meanings; Ni means two or 2nd person 爾 . Hon(忽) means the spirit associated with the beam of lights (日月星辰=神). The sun represents the lights.
The king of Jolbon Buyeo was the first one and the king in the Japanese main island, Honshu (本州) was the second one. The original meaning of Nihon(日夲) was, though they were second in line, nearer the place of sunrising. Two political entities had been in the Japanese archipelago; Wae(倭) in the west and Nihon(日本) in the east. The main island of Japan still carries on the phonetic of Hon.

End.