海老
Chinese
ocean; sea | old; aged; venerable old; aged; venerable; outdated; experienced; (affectionate prefix) | ||
---|---|---|---|
trad. (海老) | 海 | 老 | |
simp. #(海老) | 海 | 老 | |
anagram | 老海 |
Pronunciation
Verb
海老
- (literary, of a sea) to dry up
Noun
海老
- (literary) alcohol
Japanese
Etymology 1
Kanji in this term | |
---|---|
海 | 老 |
えび | |
Grade: 2 | Grade: 4 |
jukujikun |
Alternative spellings |
---|
海老 (kyūjitai) 蝦 鰕 魵 |
/jepi/ → /jebi/ → /ebi/
Possibly from Old Japanese, first attested in the Honzō Wamyō (918 CE).
Ultimate derivation unclear, with theories including:
- Shift in meaning from ebi, ancient reading of modern 葡萄 (budō, “grape”), from a resemblance in color
- Shift in reading from epige, proposed compound of 良い (ei, “good”) + 髭 (pige → hige, “beard”) from the bearded appearance
- Shift in reading from epige, proposed compound of 江 (e, “inlet, bay”) + 髭 (pige → hige, “beard”) from the bearded appearance
Appears as Yebi in the Nippo Jisho of 1603.[1]
The kanji spelling is jukujikun (熟字訓), in reference to the vague resemblance to a stooped old man. See the kairō reading below.
Pronunciation
- (Irregular reading)
- (Tokyo) えび [èbí] (Heiban – [0])[2]
- IPA(key): [e̞bʲi]
Noun
海老 • (ebi)
- any long-tailed decapod crustacean or arthropod:
- a crayfish
- Hyponyms: 蝲蛄 (zarigani), 蝉海老 (semiebi)
- a lobster
- Synonyms: ロブスター (robusutā), オマール (omāru)
- Hyponym: 海蝲蛄 (umi zarigani)
- a prawn
- Synonym: プローン (purōn)
- Hyponyms: 車海老 (kuruma-ebi), 大正海老 (Taishō ebi)
- a shrimp
- Synonym: シュリンプ (shurinpu)
- a crayfish
- Short for 海老錠 (ebijō): a padlock
- a type of 家紋 (kamon, “family crest”) with an ebi motif
Usage notes
This term is more generic than the English glosses. Where necessary, the meaning can be clarified by indicating type or size:
- 小海老 (koebi): shrimp, literally “small ebi”
- 伊勢海老 (Ise ebi): spiny lobster (without big claws, unlike the North American lobster)
Derived terms
- 海老上り, 海老上がり (ebi agari)
- 海老芋 (ebiimo)
- 海老尾 (ebio)
- 海老型 (ebigata)
- 海老固め (ebi-gatame)
- 海老カツ (ebi katsu)
- 海老蟹 (ebigani)
- 海老虹梁 (ebi kōryō)
- 海老蟋蟀 (ebi kōrogi)
- 海老腰 (ebigoshi)
- 海老鞘巻 (ebi sayamaki)
- 海老雑魚 (ebijako)
- 海老錠 (ebijō)
- 海老責め (ebizeme)
- 海老煎餅 (ebi senbei)
- 海老素麺 (ebi sōmen)
- 海老反り (ebizori)
- 海老茶 (ebicha)
- 海老チリ (ebi chiri)
- 海老束 (ebizuka)
- 海老名 (Ebina)
- 海老根 (ebine)
- 海老手の人参 (ebi-de no ninjin)
- 海老の尻尾 (ebi no shippo)
- 海老原 (Ebihara)
- 海老フライ (ebi furai)
- 海老藻 (ebimo)
- 海老マヨ (ebi mayo)
- 赤海老 (akaebi)
- 甘海老 (amaebi)
- 伊勢海老 (Ise ebi)
- 牛海老 (ushiebi)
- 団扇海老 (uchiwa ebi)
- 乙姫海老 (otohime ebi)
- オマール海老 (omāru ebi)
- 飾り海老 (kazari ebi)
- 兜海老 (kabuto ebi)
- 鎌倉海老 (Kamakura ebi)
- 川海老 (kawa ebi)
- 熊海老 (kumaebi)
- 車海老 (kuruma-ebi)
- 高麗海老 (Kōrai ebi)
- 小海老 (koebi)
- 五色海老 (goshiki ebi)
- 小衝き海老 (kozuki ebi)
- 桜海老 (sakura ebi)
- 猿海老 (saruebi)
- 芝海老 (shibaebi)
- 猩猩海老 (shōjō ebi)
- 条海老 (sujiebi)
- 蝉海老 (semiebi)
- 草履海老 (zōri ebi)
- 大正海老 (Taishō ebi)
- 杖突海老 (tsuetsuki ebi)
- 手長海老 (tenaga ebi)
- 鉄砲海老 (teppō ebi)
- 同穴海老 (dōketsu ebi)
- 富山海老 (Toyama ebi)
- 虎海老 (toraebi)
- 錦海老 (nishiki ebi)
- 糠海老 (nukaebi)
- 沼海老 (numaebi)
- 箱海老 (hakoebi)
- バナメイ海老 (banamei ebi)
- 豊年海老 (hōnen ebi)
- 牡丹海老 (botan ebi)
- 北海海老 (hokkai ebi)
- 干し海老, 乾し海老 (hoshi ebi)
- 剥き海老 (muki ebi)
- 藻海老 (moebi)
- 茹で海老 (yudeebi)
- 葦海老 (yoshiebi)
- 横海老 (yokoebi)
Idioms
- 海老で鯛を釣る (ebi de tai o tsuru), 海老鯛 (ebitai), “throw a sprat to catch a mackerel”
- 海老の鯛交じり (ebi no tai majiri), something insignificant among great things
Proverbs
- 鱧も一期、海老も一期 (hamo mo ichigo, ebi mo ichigo)
Proper noun
海老 • (Ebi)
- a place name
- a surname
Etymology 2
Kanji in this term | |
---|---|
海 | 老 |
かい Grade: 2 | ろう Grade: 4 |
on’yomi |
Alternative spelling |
---|
海老 (kyūjitai) |
*/kairau/ → /kairɔː/ → /kairoː/
Probably a coinage in Japan of Middle Chinese-derived elements, as 海 (kai, “sea, ocean”) + 老 (rō, “elder, old person”), in reference to the vague resemblance to a stooped old man.
Appears as Cairǒ in the Nippo Jisho of 1603.[3]
Pronunciation
- On’yomi
- (Tokyo) かいろー [kàíróó] (Heiban – [0])[2]
- IPA(key): [ka̠iɾo̞ː]
Noun
海老 • (kairō) ←かいらう (kairau)?
- any long-tailed decapod crustacean or arthropod:
- a crayfish
- a lobster
- a prawn
- a shrimp
Usage notes
This reading is less common than ebi above.
Derived terms
- 海老尾 (kairōbi)
Proper noun
海老 • (Kairō) ←かいらう (kairau)?
- a place name
References
- 1603, 日葡辞書: パリ本 / Vocabulario da Lingoa de Iapam (Nippo Jisho: Paris edition / Vocabulary of the Language of Japan) (in Japanese and Portuguese), 1976 reprint, Tōkyō: Bensei Publishing, text here
- 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
- 1603, 日葡辞書: パリ本 / Vocabulario da Lingoa de Iapam (Nippo Jisho: Paris edition / Vocabulary of the Language of Japan) (in Japanese and Portuguese), 1976 reprint, Tōkyō: Bensei Publishing, text here