Yamato

1. historicalAncient Japan.

   The museum curator said that the sword originated from the Yamato period in Japan.

2. Any of several towns in Japan; see Wikipedia.
3. The imperial house which formerly ruled Japan from the province of Yamato; by extension, the predominant ethnic group of Japan.

   In Japanese society, Koreans are viewed as being of a lower rung on the social ladder compared to Yamato people.

4. A male given name from Japanese.
5. A surname from Japanese.

   For quotations using this term, see Citations:Yamato.

plural Yamatos

1. A member of the Yamato court which formerly ruled Japan.
2. A member of the ethnic group that comprises over 90% of the population of Japan, native to the islands of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu.

   When the Guptas were ruling in India and the Tang were ruling in China and the Yamatos were ruling in Japan, no one was ruling in Australia! The people of Australia were nomads.

   2007, S. Wise Bauer, The Story of the World, History for the Classical Child, →ISBN, page 90

3. One of a class of battleships used by the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Second World War.