Etymology

Kunashir

K5U1N1A1S1H4I1R1

Today it means: The southernmost island of the Kuril Islands, disputed between Japan and Russia. Full definition →

Japanese 国後 ← Russian Кунаши́р ← Ainu クンネ シㇼ
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The story

  1. Ainu · derived fromキナ シㇼ
  2. Ainu · derived fromクンネ シㇼ
  3. Russian · borrowed fromКунаши́р
  4. Japanese · borrowed from国後
  5. English todayKunashir

Borrowed from Japanese 国後 (Kunashiri) or Russian Кунаши́р (Kunašír). Ultimately from Ainu クンネ シㇼ (kunne sir), meaning "black island"; or Ainu キナ シㇼ (kina sir), meaning "grass island".

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.