Although it is generally deemed to be synonymous with "jinko" (also known as "kanbe," written as 神戸 or 神部 in Chinese characters), it is considered that their period of origin and original role were different with each other; it is considered that the two became increasingly confused from the late Nara period to the early Heian period.
一般的には神戸（じんこ、かんべ）または神部（かんべ、かむべ）と同義とされるが、その成立時期や初期における役割には差異があったと考えられ、両者の混合が進んだのは、奈良時代後期から平安時代初期にかけてと考えられている。