Chinese edit

ocean; sea rat; mouse
trad. (海鼠)
simp. #(海鼠)

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

海鼠

  1. (Penghu Hokkien) dolphin

Synonyms edit

Japanese edit

 
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Etymology 1 edit

Kanji in this term
なまこ
Grade: 2 Hyōgaiji
jukujikun
Alternative spellings
海鼠 (kyūjitai)
生子 (informal)
生海鼠 (obsolete)

Compound of (nama, raw) +‎ 海鼠 (ko, sea cucumber, ancient usage, see below).[1] Previously spelled 生海鼠, with the (nama) portion explicitly spelled out.[2] The nama portion was likely added to specify sea cucumber eaten raw, in contrast to 煎海鼠 (iriko, literally roasted sea cucumber).[3][4]

First cited in a text from 1781.[1]

The modern spelling is jukujikun (熟字訓), from (sea) + (mouse, rat), possibly due to their backs resembling those of mice or because, like mice, they are active at night crawling.[3][4]

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

海鼠(なまこ) or 海鼠(ナマコ) (namako

  1. sea cucumber
Usage notes edit

Etymology 2 edit

Kanji in this term
Grade: 2 Hyōgaiji
jukujikun
Alternative spelling
海鼠 (kyūjitai)

The older term for modern namako.[5][2] First cited in the ten-volume Wamyō Ruijushō of 934 CE.[1]

Possibly cognate with (ko, child, also general noun for small things), perhaps from the way that a sea cucumber will contract into a small ball shape when disturbed.

The spelling is jukujikun (熟字訓), same as above.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

海鼠() (ko

  1. (obsolete) sea cucumber
Derived terms edit

Etymology 3 edit

Kanji in this term
かい
Grade: 2

Hyōgaiji
on’yomi kan’yōon
Alternative spelling
海鼠 (kyūjitai)

Compound of Middle Chinese-derived elements (kai, sea) +‎ (so, mouse, rat).[1][5]

First cited in the 本草和名 (Honzō Wamyō, literally Japanese Names of Medical Plants) of 918 CE.[1]

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

(かい)() (kaiso

  1. sea cucumber

References edit

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 海鼠”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, Nihon Kokugo Daijiten)[1] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  3. 3.0 3.1 ナマコ/海鼠/なまこ”, in 語源由来辞典 (Gogen Yurai Jiten, Etymology Derivation Dictionary) (in Japanese), 2003–2024.
  4. 4.0 4.1 ナマコ・海鼠”, in 日本辞典 (Nihon Jiten, Japan Dictionary) (in Japanese), 2007–2017.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  6. 6.0 6.1 NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK Publishing, →ISBN