When most of the Japanese Islands (from the south of the Tohoku region to the south of Kyushu) were ruled and controlled, these areas were collectively called Yamato.
さらに支配・制圧が日本列島の大半（東北地方南部から九州南部まで）にまで及ぶに至り、それらを総称して大和と呼ばれるようになった。