# 河童
## Chinese
### Etymology

Orthographic borrowing from Japanese 河童(かっぱ) (kappa).

### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): hétóng
    (Zhuyin): ㄏㄜˊ ㄊㄨㄥˊ
* Cantonese (Jyutping): ho$^4$ tung$^4$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: hétóng
*** Zhuyin: ㄏㄜˊ ㄊㄨㄥˊ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: hétóng
*** Wade–Giles: ho$^2$-tʻung$^2$
*** Yale: hé-túng
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: hertorng
*** Palladius: хэтун (xɛtun)
*** Sinological IPA : /xɤ³⁵ tʰʊŋ³⁵/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: ho$^4$ tung$^4$
*** Yale: hòh tùhng
*** Cantonese Pinyin: ho$^4$ tung$^4$
*** Guangdong Romanization: ho$^4$ tung$^4$
*** Sinological IPA : /hɔː²¹ tʰʊŋ²¹/

### Noun

河童
* (Japanese mythology) kappa (mythical creature) (Classifier: 個／个 m; 隻／只 m)
** 2023, “我的世界地圖”, 黃偉文 [Wyman Wong] (lyrics), 王菀之 [Ivana Wong] (music)‎performed by 魏浚笙 [Jeffrey Ngai]:
       ho$^4$ tung$^4$ zoi$^6$ naa$^5$ syu$^6$ haa$^6$ bei$^6$ leoi$^4$ din$^6$ [Jyutping]
       Under which tree is the kappa taking shelter from thunder and lightning?

## Japanese

Kanji in this term :
| 河 | 童 |
| かわ > か Grade: 5 | わっぱ > っぱ Grade: 3 |
| irregular ||

### Etymology

/kapawarapa/ → /kawawappa/ → /kawappa/ → /kappa/
Originally a compound of 川 (kapa → kawa, “river”) +‎ 童 (warapa → wappa, “child”).

### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) かっぱ [kàppá] (Heiban – [0])
* IPA: [ka̠p̚pa̠]
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

河(か)童(っぱ) • (kappa)
* (Japanese mythology, folklore) a river-dwelling imp or monster from Japanese folklore
** 1999 September 23, “ひょうすべ [Hyōsube]”, in Vol.5, Konami:
    カッパの親(おや)分(ぶん)。攻(こう)撃(げき)力(りょく)は意(い)外(がい)と高(たか)い。守(しゅ)備(び)力(りょく)は低(ひく)め。
       Kappa no oyabun. Kōgekiryoku wa igai to takai. Shubiryoku wa hikume.
       A kappa boss with low defense strength, but surprisingly high attack strength.
** 2000 July 13, “サイコ・カッパー [Psycho Kappar]”, in Pharaoh’s Servant －ファラオのしもべ－, Konami:
    いろいろな超(ちょう)能(のう)力(りょく)を使(つか)い、攻(こう)撃(げき)のダメージを防(ふせ)ぐカッパ。
       Iroiro na chōnōryoku o tsukai, kōgeki no damēji o fusegu kappa.
       This kappa evades attack damage with his ESP.
* Synonym of 胡瓜 (kyūri, “cucumber”)
* Short for 河童巻き (kappa maki, “rolled sushi with cucumber inside”).
* (dated) a prostitute working from a boat that picks up customers from the banks of a river
    See also: Thesaurus:娼婦
* (historical) a children's hairstyle in the Edo period, similar to the bowl cut
    Synonym: 御河童 (o-kappa)
* (dated, slang) a strong swimmer
* Alternative spelling of 合羽 (“raincoat”)

#### Derived terms

* 河童巻(かっぱま)き (kappamaki)
* お河童(かっぱ) (okappa)

### References

* ↑ Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
* ↑ Matsumura, Akira (1995) 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN
* 1 2 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
* 1 2 Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
* ↑ 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), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN