メダカ
Japanese
editAlternative forms
editEtymology
editCompound of 目 (me, “eye”) + 高 (taka, “high”), in reference to its appearance.[1] The ta changes to da as an instance of rendaku (連濁).
Pronunciation
editNoun
edit- medaka, Japanese ricefish, Oryzias latipes, a small freshwater fish
- killifish, any of various species in the Aplocheilidae, Cyprinodontidae, Fundulidae, Profundulidae, or Valenciidae families
Usage notes
edit- As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana, especially in biological contexts (where katakana is customary).