Old Japanese origin
Source-reportedMeaning: “grove”
From Old Japanese. First mentioned in the Man'yōshū, completed in 759 CE. Derives from the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 生やす (hayasu, “to grow”). The root verb is in the transitive form, suggesting that the original sense of hayashi may have indicated a deliberately planted or managed grove.
Sources for this account (4)
- Wiktionary: 林CC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
- JMnedict entry 5708030CC-BY-SA-4.0 · rev. 2026-10-15 · retrieved 2026-10-15
- Russian Wiktionary: 林CC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-14
- KANJIDIC2: 林CC-BY-SA-4.0 · rev. 2026-288 · retrieved 2026-10-15
