The definition of Dongyi varied across the ages, but in most cases referred to inhabitants of eastern China, then later, the Korean peninsula and Japanese Archipelago.

Oracle bone inscriptions from the early 11th century BCE refer to campaigns by the late Shang king Di Yi against the Rénfāng (人方), a group occupying the area of southern Shandong and Jianghuai (northern Anhui and Jiangsu).

[4] Other scholars, such as Fang Hui, consider this identification problematic because of the high frequency of migrations in prehistoric populations of the region.

The (121 CE) Shuowen Jiezi character dictionary, defines yí 夷 as "people of the east, big 大 bow 弓" 東方之人也從大從弓.

This oracle bone script was used interchangeably for yí 夷, rén 人 "human", and shī 尸 "corpse; personator of the dead; inactive; lay out".

[13] The early China historian Li Feng says the Western Zhou bronze graph for Yí was "differentiated from rén 人 (human) by its kneeling gesture, clearly implying a population that was deemed a potential source of slaves or servants", thus meaning "foreign conquerable".

[14] Axel Schuessler hypothesizes an Old Chinese etymological development from *li 夷 "extend; expose; display; set out; spread out" to *lhi 尸 "to spread out; lie down flat (in order to sleep); motionless; to set forth (sacrificial dishes)", to "personator of a dead ancestor", and to "corpse".

Middle and Old Chinese reconstructions of yí 夷 "barbarian; spread out" include i < *djər,[16] yij < *ljɨj,[17] jiɪ < *lil,[18] and ji < *ləi.

As Yuèjuèshū (越絕書) states that the Yue word for "sea" is also 夷 (*li → yí),[21] Sinologist Axel Schuessler proposes an Austroasiatic etymology for the ethnonym *li by comparing to Khmer ทะเล dhle "sea", from Pre-Angkorian Old Khmer ទន្លេ danle(y) "large expanse of water"; thus the ethnonym might have referred to a people living by the sea,[22] When analyzing possible Austroasiatic loanwords into Old Chinese, Schuessler noticed that one layer of loanwords, from one or more Austroasiatic language(s) into Old Chinese spoken in the Yellow River basin, showed affinities to modern Khmeric and Khmuic languages, and occasionally to Monic.

At the same time, it continued to have a specific reference, denoting especially the Yi of the Huai River region, who constituted a recognized political entity.

For example, the Yu Gong chapter of the Shu Ji or Book of Documents terms people in Qingzhou and Xuzhou Laiyi (萊夷), Yuyi (嵎夷) and Huaiyi (淮夷).

"[31] During the Spring and Autumn period, Jin, Zheng, Qi and Song tried to seize control of the Huai River basin, which the Huaiyi occupied.

[32] The state of Xu occupied large areas of modern Jiangsu and Anhui provinces between the Huai and Yangtze Rivers.

Recent archaeological excavations reveal that the State of Xu's presence extended to western Jiangxi in modern Jing'an County.

The people of the Middle States, and of those [Yi], Man, [Rong], and [Di], all had their dwellings, where they lived at ease; their flavors which they preferred; the clothes suitable for them; their proper implements for use; and their vessels which they prepared in abundance.

To make what was in their minds apprehended, and to communicate their likings and desires, (there were officers) – in the east, called transmitters; in the south, representations; in the west, [Di-dis]; and in the north, interpreters.

The Book of Jin positioned Dongyi inside the section of "Siyi" (barbarians in four directions) along with "Xirong", "Nanman", and "Beidi".