海鼠

Chinese

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

Pronunciation

• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): hái-chhú

---

• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Magong)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hái-chhú
    • Tâi-lô: hái-tshú
    • Phofsit Daibuun: hayzhuo

Noun

海鼠

1. (Penghu Hokkien) dolphin

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 海豚 (“dolphin”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		海豨
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		海豚
Taxonomic name		海豚
Northeastern Mandarin	Taiwan	海豚
	Singapore	海豚
Cantonese	Guangzhou	海豬, 海豚
	Hong Kong	海豚
Hakka	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	海豚, 海豬
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	海豚
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	海豚
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	海豚
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	海豚
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	海豬
Southern Min	Xiamen	白鰗, 海豬, 媽祖婆魚, 媽祖魚, 鎮港魚
	Zhangzhou	白鰗, 媽祖婆魚, 媽祖魚, 鎮港魚
	Taipei	海豬仔
	Taipei (Wanhua)	海豬
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	海豬仔
	Kaohsiung	海豬, 烏鯃
	Yilan	海豬仔, 海豬
	Changhua (Lukang)	海豬仔, 海豬
	Taichung	海豬
	Taichung (Wuqi)	海豬
	Tainan	海豬仔, 海豬
	Taitung	海豬
	Taitung (Green Island)	烏鯃
	Hsinchu	海豬, 海豬仔
	Pingtung (Liuqiu)	烏鯃
	Kinmen	海豬
	Penghu (Magong)	海鼠, 烏鯃
	Penghu (Pengnan)	海鼠
	Penghu (Xiyu)	海鼠
	Penghu (Huxi)	海鼠
	Penghu (Wangan)	海鼠
	Penghu (Cimei)	海鼠, 烏鯃
	Penghu (Huayu)	烏鯃
	Penghu (Zhongtun)	海鼠
	Penghu (Houliao)	海鼠
	Penghu (Tongliang)	海鼠, 烏鯃, 白鯃
	Penghu (Jibei)	烏鯃, 白鯃
	Singapore (Hokkien)	海豬
	Nan'ao (Houzhai)	白吳
Puxian Min	Putian	海豬
	Xianyou	海豬
Wu	Shanghai	海豚

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
海	鼠
なまこ
Grade: 2	Hyōgai
jukujikun

Alternative spellings
海鼠 (kyūjitai) 生子 (informal) 生海鼠 (obsolete)

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

First cited in a text from 1781.

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

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) なまこ [nàmákóꜜ] (Odaka – [3])
• (Tokyo) なまこ [nàmákó] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [na̠ma̠ko̞]

Noun

海鼠(なまこ) or 海鼠(ナマコ) • (namako) 

1. sea cucumber

Usage notes

• As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana, especially in biological contexts (where katakana is customary), as ナマコ.

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
海	鼠
こ
Grade: 2	Hyōgai
jukujikun

Alternative spelling
海鼠 (kyūjitai)

The older term for modern namako. First cited in the ten-volume Wamyō Ruijushō of 934 CE.

Possibly cognate with 子 (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

• IPA^(key): [ko̞]

Noun

海鼠(こ) • (ko) 

1. (obsolete) sea cucumber

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 煎(いり)海鼠(こ) (iriko, “roasted sea cucumber”)
• 海鼠(この)子(こ) (konoko, “dried sea cucumber ovaries”)
• 海鼠(この)腸(わた) (konowata, “salted sea cucumber entrails”)

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
海	鼠
かい Grade: 2	そ Hyōgai
on'yomi	kan'yōon

Alternative spelling
海鼠 (kyūjitai)

Compound of Middle Chinese-derived elements 海 (kai, “sea”) +‎ 鼠 (so, “mouse, rat”).

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

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) かいそ [káꜜìsò] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [ka̠iso̞]

Noun

海(かい)鼠(そ) • (kaiso) 

1. sea cucumber