磐余

Either from 言はれ (ipare, “that of what is said”), or from a compound of 岩 (ipa, “rock”) +‎ 村 (*are, “village”).^[1] The latter theory is more likely as placenames were often formed from compounds of nouns, but a place name formed from a specific conjugation is extremely rare, if at all.

磐余 (Ipare) (kana いはれ)

1. a placename in present-day southern Sakurai, Nara prefecture; site of the ancient Yamato imperial court around the mid-late Kofun period
   • 720, Nihon Shoki, Emperor Keitai, seventh year of reign (c. 514 CE), ninth month in autumn:
     • 莒母唎矩能簸覩細能哿波庾那峨例倶屢駄開能以矩美娜開余嚢開謨等陛嗚麼莒等儞都倶唎須衞陛嗚麼府曳儞都倶唎府企儺須美母慮我紆陪儞能朋梨陀致倭我彌細麼都奴娑播符以簸例能伊聞能美那矢駄府紆嗚謨紆陪儞堤堤那皚矩野須美矢矢倭我於朋枳美能於魔細屢娑佐羅能美於寐能武須彌陀例駄例夜矢比等母紆陪儞泥堤那皚矩

       ko₂moriku no₂ Patuse-no₂-kapa yu nagarekuru take₂ no₂ ikumi₁dake₂ yo₂dake₂ moto₂pe₁ wo ba ko₂to₂ ni tukuri suwepe₁ wo ba puye ni tukuri puki₁nasu Mi₁moro₂ ga upe₂ ni no₂boritati waga mi₁seba tuno₁ sapapu Ipare-no₂-ike₂ no₂ mi₁nasitapu uwo mo upe₂ nidete nage₂ku yasumi₁sisi waga opoki₁mi₁ no₂ obaseru sasarano₂ mi₁obi₁ no₂ musubi₁tare tare ya si pi₁to₂ mo upe₂ nidete nage₂ku

       Down the river of Patuse , a bamboo comes floating—close-jointed, long-jointed; the bottom part making into a lute, the upper part making into a flute. Blowing into playing on , were I to ascend and stand on the top of Mimorö? and publish it there, the very fishes that pass under the water of the pond of Ipare? ould come to the surface and lament: the august girdle of small pattern, girded on by our great lord who rules peacefully, hangs down in a knot—not a man is there whoever he may be but would come up and lament.

• Japanese: 磐余 (Iware, in modern dictionaries)

• つのさはふ (tuno₁ sapapu, pillow word alluding to Ipare)