柴犬

柴犬

Japanese

柴犬 (shiba inu, shiba ken): a Shiba Inu puppy.

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
柴	犬
しば Jinmeiyō	いぬ Grade: 1
kun’yomi

Compound of 柴 (shiba, “brushwood”) +‎ 犬 (inu, “dog”),[1][2] possibly in reference to the dog's small stature and ability to pursue prey even through overgrown terrain.

Pronunciation

• Kun’yomi
  • (Tokyo) しばいぬ [shìbáínú] (Heiban – [0])[2]
  • IPA^(key): [ɕiba̠inɯ̟ᵝ]

Noun

柴犬 (hiragana しばいぬ, rōmaji shibainu)

1. a Shiba Inu

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
柴	犬
しば Jinmeiyō	けん Grade: 1
yutōyomi

Compound of 柴 (shiba, “brushwood”) +‎ 犬 (ken, “dog”), using the on'yomi of ken for the second character.

Pronunciation

• Yutōyomi
  • (Tokyo) しばけん [shìbákéń] (Heiban – [0])
  • IPA^(key): [ɕiba̠kẽ̞ɴ]

Noun

柴犬 (hiragana しばけん, rōmaji shibaken)

1. a Shiba Inu

Usage notes

The shiba inu reading appears to be more common.

References

1. 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
2. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN