Ainu

noun

Ai·​nu ˈī-(ˌ)nü How to pronounce Ainu (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Learn About the Ainu Photo: Getty Images Most Popular Fashion Week Troye Sivan’s Fashion Week Look? — Christina Liao, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2025 Fukunaga plans to use the footage for a short film as a follow-up to his documentary Ainu Puri (Ainu ways) that is screening at this year’s Tokyo International Film Festival. — Gavin J Blair, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Ainu aynu person

First Known Use

1811, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Ainu was in 1811

Rhymes for Ainu

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Browse Nearby Words

Ainoid
Ainu
aioli
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Cite this Entry

“Ainu.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Ainu. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on Ainu

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Ainu

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