Where does “大和” come from?

大和 (Kunigami) comes from Proto-Ryukyuan *yamato, from Proto-Japonic *yamatə — Yamato.

Ancestry of “大和”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Ryukyuan*yamatoYamato
2Proto-Japonic*yamatəYamato
Every word from Proto-Japonic *yamatə →Every word from Proto-Ryukyuan *yamato →
大和 — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer