蜉蝣
Chinese
Ephemera strigata | |||
---|---|---|---|
simp. and trad. (蜉蝣) | 蜉 | 蝣 | |
variant forms | 浮游 |
Pronunciation
Noun
蜉蝣
- mayfly
Derived terms
|
Japanese
Alternative forms
- 蜻蛉 (obsolete)
Etymology 1
Kanji in this term | |
---|---|
蜉 | 蝣 |
Hyōgaiji | Hyōgaiji |
Irregular |
Change in meaning from 陽炎 (kagerō, “heat haze, heat shimmer”), from the way that the insects fly in swarms that visually resemble heat haze.[1] The kanji is jukujikun (熟字訓), from Chinese 蜉蝣.
Pronunciation
- (Irregular reading)
- (Tokyo) かげろー [kàgéꜜròò] (Nakadaka – [2])[2][3]
- (Tokyo) かげろー [kàgéróó] (Heiban – [0])[2][3]
- IPA(key): [ka̠ɡe̞ɾo̞ː]
Noun
蜉蝣 (hiragana かげろう, katakana カゲロウ, rōmaji kagerō, historical hiragana かげろふ)
- a mayfly
- (obsolete) Synonym of 蜻蛉 (tonbo, “dragonfly”)
Usage notes
As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana, especially in biological contexts, as カゲロウ.
Idioms
- 蜉蝣の命 (kagerō no inochi): “a mayfly's life” → a metaphor for a short life
Etymology 2
Kanji in this term | |
---|---|
蜉 | 蝣 |
Hyōgaiji | Hyōgaiji |
Irregular |
Change in meaning from 陽炎 (kagirō, “heat haze, heat shimmer”), from the way that the insects fly in swarms that visually resemble heat haze.[1]
Obsolete reading.
Noun
蜉蝣 (hiragana かぎろう, rōmaji kagirō, historical hiragana かぎろふ)
- (obsolete) Synonym of 蜻蛉 (tonbo, “dragonfly”)
Etymology 3
Kanji in this term | |
---|---|
蜉 | 蝣 |
ふ Hyōgaiji | ゆう Hyōgaiji |
on’yomi |
From Middle Chinese 蜉蝣 (bjuw yuw?). Compare Mandarin 蜉蝣 (fúyóu), Vietnamese phù du.
Pronunciation
- On’yomi
- (Tokyo) ふゆう [fùyúú] (Heiban – [0])[2]
- (Tokyo) ふゆう [fúꜜyùù] (Atamadaka – [1])[2]
- IPA(key): [ɸɯ̟ᵝjɯ̟ᵝː]
Noun
蜉蝣 (hiragana ふゆう, rōmaji fuyū, historical hiragana ふいう)
- a mayfly
- (by extension) ephemerality (from the way that mayflies are born and die within a day)
Idioms
- 蜉蝣の一期 (fuyū no ichigo): “a mayfly's life” → a metaphor for a short life
References
- 1988, 国語大辞典(新装版) (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
- 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
- 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN
Vietnamese
Hán tự in this term | |
---|---|
蜉 | 蝣 |
Noun
蜉蝣
- Hán tự form of phù du (“mayfly”).
Adjective
蜉蝣
- Hán tự form of phù du (“ephemeral”).