海鼠

海鼠

1. (Penghu Hokkien) dolphin

Compound of 生 (nama, “raw”) +‎ 海鼠 (ko, “sea cucumber”, ancient usage, see below).^[1] Previously spelled 生海鼠, with the 生 (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 海 (“sea”) + 鼠 (“mouse, rat”), possibly due to their backs resembling those of mice or because, like mice, they are active at night crawling.^[3][4]

• (Tokyo) なまこ [nàmákóꜜ] (Odaka – [3])^[2][5][6]
• (Tokyo) なまこ [nàmákó] (Heiban – [0])^[2][5][6]
• IPA^(key): [na̠ma̠ko̞]

海鼠(なまこ) or 海鼠(ナマコ) • (namako) 

1. sea cucumber

• 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 (namako).

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

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.

• IPA^(key): [ko̞]

海鼠(こ) • (ko) 

1. (obsolete) sea cucumber

Compound of Middle Chinese-derived elements 海 (kai, “sea”) +‎ 鼠 (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]

• (Tokyo) かいそ [káꜜìsò] (Atamadaka – [1])^[5]
• IPA^(key): [ka̠iso̞]

海(かい)鼠(そ) • (kaiso) 

1. sea cucumber