Chinese

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ocean; sea leopard; panther
simp. and trad.
(海豹)
 
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Pronunciation

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Noun

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海豹

  1. earless seal (Classifier: m c)

Descendants

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Sino-Xenic (海豹):
  • Japanese: (かい)(ひょう) (kaihyō)
  • Korean: 해표(海豹) (haepyo)

See also

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Japanese

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Japanese Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia ja
 
English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia
 
海豹 (azarashi): a true seal, an earless seal.

Etymology 1

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Kanji in this term
あざらし
Grade: 2 Jinmeiyō
jukujikun
Alternative spelling
海豹 (kyūjitai)

Originally a compound of Old Japanese elements (aza, bruise) +‎ (ra, lots of, a pluralizer) +‎ (shi, beast, especially one used for meat). The bruise meaning was in reference to the spotted coat.

The kanji are jukujikun (熟字訓), from Chinese 海豹 (hǎibào, literally sea leopard).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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海豹(あざらし) or 海豹(アザラシ) (azarashi

  1. a seal, specifically the earless seal or true seal
Usage notes
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As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana, especially in biological contexts (where katakana is customary), as アザラシ.

Note the distinction between 海豹 (azarashi) for seal, which has no external ear flaps, and 海驢 (ashika) for sea lion, which does have external ear flaps.

Derived terms
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See also
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Etymology 2

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Kanji in this term
かい
Grade: 2
ひょう
Jinmeiyō
on'yomi
Alternative spelling
海豹 (kyūjitai)

/kaipeu//kaifeu//kaiheu//kaihjoː/

From Middle Chinese 海豹 (hʌiX pˠauH, literally sea + leopard).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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(かい)(ひょう) (kaihyōかいへう (kaifeu)?

  1. a seal, specifically the earless seal or true seal
Usage notes
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The kaihyō reading appears to be much less common than azarashi above.

Derived terms
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References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
  2. 2.0 2.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  3. 3.0 3.1 Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN