# 海鼠
## Chinese
### 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
* (Penghu Hokkien) dolphin

#### Synonyms

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

#### Noun

海鼠(なまこ) or 海鼠(ナマコ) • (namako)
* 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: [ko̞]

#### Noun

海鼠(こ) • (ko)
* (obsolete) sea cucumber

##### 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: [ka̠iso̞]

#### Noun

海(かい)鼠(そ) • (kaiso)
* sea cucumber

### References

* 1 2 3 4 5 “海鼠”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
* 1 2 3 4 Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
* 1 2 “ナマコ／海鼠／なまこ”, in 語源由来辞典 (Gogen Yurai Jiten, “Etymology Derivation Dictionary”) (in Japanese), 2003–2025.
* 1 2 “ナマコ・海鼠”, in 日本辞典 (Nihon Jiten, “Japan Dictionary”) (in Japanese), 2007–2017.
* 1 2 3 4 5 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
* 1 2 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