蝸牛

See also: 蜗牛

Chinese

		land snail	ox; cow; bull
trad. (蝸牛)		蝸	牛
simp. (蜗牛)		蜗	牛

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): wōniú, guāniú
(Zhuyin): ㄨㄛㄋㄧㄡˊ, ㄍㄨㄚㄋㄧㄡˊ
(Chengdu, SP): o¹ nyou²
Cantonese (Jyutping): wo¹ ngau⁴
Gan (Wiktionary): uo¹ nyiu⁴
Jin (Wiktionary): ve¹ niou¹
Min Nan
(Hokkien, POJ): o-gû / o-giû / o-ngiû
(Teochew, Peng'im): o¹ ghu⁵
Wu (Wiktionary): ku nyieu (T2)
Xiang (Wiktionary): o¹ nyiou²

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese, Mainland)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: wōniú
  - Zhuyin: ㄨㄛㄋㄧㄡˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: wonióu
  - Wade–Giles: wo¹-niu²
  - Yale: wō-nyóu
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: uoniou
  - Palladius: воню (vonju)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɔ⁵⁵ njoʊ̯³⁵/
- (Standard Chinese, erhua-ed)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: wōniúr
  - Zhuyin: ㄨㄛㄋㄧㄡˊㄦ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: wonióur
  - Wade–Giles: wo¹-niurh²
  - Yale: wō-nyóur
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: uonioul
  - Palladius: вонюр (vonjur)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɔ⁵⁵ njɤʊ̯ɻʷ³⁵/
- (Standard Chinese, Taiwan)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: guāniú
  - Zhuyin: ㄍㄨㄚㄋㄧㄡˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: guanióu
  - Wade–Giles: kua¹-niu²
  - Yale: gwā-nyóu
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: guaniou
  - Palladius: гуаню (guanju)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kwä⁵⁵ njoʊ̯³⁵/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: o¹ nyou²
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: onou
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /o⁵⁵ nʲəu²¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: wo¹ ngau⁴
  - Yale: wō ngàuh
  - Cantonese Pinyin: wo¹ ngau⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: wo¹ ngeo⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɔː⁵⁵ ŋɐu̯²¹/
Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: uo¹ nyiu⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /uo⁴² n̠ʲiu³⁵/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: ve¹ niou¹
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /vɤ¹¹ niəu¹¹/
Min Nan
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: o-gû
  - Tâi-lô: o-gû
  - Phofsit Daibuun: oi'guu
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /o³³ ɡu²⁴/
  - IPA (Xiamen): /o⁴⁴⁻²² ɡu²⁴/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /o⁴⁴⁻²² ɡu¹³/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: o-giû
  - Tâi-lô: o-giû
  - Phofsit Daibuun: oi'giuu
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /ɤ⁴⁴⁻³³ ɡiu²³/
  - IPA (Taipei): /o⁴⁴⁻³³ ɡiu²⁴/
  - IPA (Xiamen): /o⁴⁴⁻²² ɡiu²⁴/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /o³³ ɡiu²⁴/
- (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: o-ngiû
  - Tâi-lô: o-ngiû
  - Phofsit Daibuun: oingiuu
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /o⁴⁴⁻²² ŋiũ¹³/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: o¹ ghu⁵
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: o gû
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /o³³⁻²³ ɡu⁵⁵/
Wu
- (Shanghainese)
  - Wiktionary: ku nyieu (T2)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kv̩ʷ³³ n̠ʲiɜ⁴⁴/
Xiang
- (Changsha)
  - Wiktionary: o¹ nyiou²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /o³³ n̠ʲiəu¹³/

Middle Chinese: /kˠuɛ|kˠua ŋɨu/

Rime
Character	蝸	蝸	牛
Reading #	1/2	2/2	1/1
Initial (聲)	見 (28)	見 (28)	疑 (31)
Final (韻)	佳 (32)	麻 (99)	尤 (136)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed	Closed	Open
Division (等)	II	II	III
Fanqie	古娃切	古華切	語求切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kˠuɛ/	/kˠua/	/ŋɨu/
Pan Wuyun	/kʷᵚæ/	/kʷᵚa/	/ŋiu/
Shao Rongfen	/kuæi/	/kua/	/ŋiəu/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kwaɨj/	/kwaɨ/	/ŋuw/
Li Rong	/kuɛ/	/kua/	/ŋiu/
Wang Li	/kwai/	/kwa/	/ŋĭəu/
Bernard Karlgren	/kwai/	/kwa/	/ŋi̯ə̯u/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	guā	guā	yóu
Expected Cantonese Reflex	gwaai¹	gwaa¹	ngau⁴

Noun

蝸牛

land snail

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 蝸牛 (“land snail”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		蝸牛
Mandarin	Beijing	水牛兒, 牛兒
	Taiwan	蝸牛
	Tianjin	蝸牛
	Langfang	蝸牛
	Tangshan	蝸牛, 牛磨磨兒
	Cangzhou	蝸牛
	Baoding	牛兒
	Shijiazhuang	蝸牛兒, 劉劉出門兒
	Daming	蝸牛兒
	Chifeng	蝸牛
	Hulunbuir (Hailar)	蛤蜊牛
	Harbin	蝸牛, 水摸牛兒
	Shenyang	蝸牛, 水牛兒
	Qingdao	蝸牛
	Jinan	蛤拉蚰, 蛤拉蚰子
	Luoyang	蝸子
	Wanrong	蝸牛
	Zhengzhou	阿子
	Xi'an	蝸蝸牛, 蝸蝸牛兒
	Yinchuan	蝸牛
	Lanzhou	蝸蝸牛, 蝸牛
	Xining	拔牛兒
	Ürümqi	蝸蝸牛兒, 蝸蝸牛, 蝸蝸子
	Wuhan	蝸牛, 天螺螄
	Chengdu	牛牛兒, 牛牛, 蝸牛
	Chongqing	山螺螄, 牛牛兒
	Guiyang	蝸牛
	Kunming	蝸牛
	Guilin	蝸牛
	Liuzhou	蝸牛
	Xuzhou	蝸牛, 烏斗牛兒, 烏斗牛
	Yangzhou	蝸牛
	Nanjing	蝸牛
	Hefei	旱螺螄, 蝸牛
	Nantong	蝸牛
	Singapore	蝸牛
Cantonese	Guangzhou	蝸牛
	Hong Kong	蝸牛
	Taishan	緣牛, 蝸牛
	Dongguan	蝸牛
	Yangjiang	蝸牛
Gan	Nanchang	蝸牛
	Lichuan	蝸牛
	Pingxiang	天螺頭
Hakka	Meixian	螔螺哥
	Wuhua (Huacheng)	螔螺哩
	Yudu	蝸牛
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	螔螺仔
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	螔螺仔
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	蝓螺
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	蝓螺
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	蝓螺
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	露螺
Huizhou	Jixi	蜒蚰
Huizhou	Shexian	螺螄
Jin	Taiyuan	蝸牛
	Xinzhou	蝸牛, 海螺子
	Linhe	蝸牛
	Jining	蝸牛
	Hohhot	蝸牛
	Zhangjiakou	蝸牛, 水牛
	Handan	蝸牛, 巴牛, 牤牛
Min Bei	Jian'ou	鉗螺
Min Dong	Fuzhou	牛母牛囝
Min Nan	Xiamen	露螺
	Zhangzhou	鼻痕螺, 鼻痕
	Zhao'an	𧌄花螺
	Dongshan	紅螺螺
	Taipei	露螺
	New Taipei (Tamsui)	露螺
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	露螺
	New Taipei (Pingxi)	露螺
	Kaohsiung	露螺
	Kaohsiung (Cijin)	露螺
	Kaohsiung (Hongmaogang, Siaogang)	露螺
	Kaohsiung (Dalinpu, Siaogang)	露螺
	Kaohsiung (Tianliao)	露螺
	Yilan	露螺
	Yilan (Toucheng)	露螺
	Changhua (Lukang)	露螺
	Taichung	露螺
	Taichung (Wuqi)	露螺
	Tainan	露螺
	Tainan (Anping)	露螺
	Taitung	露螺
	Hsinchu	露螺
	Kinmen	露螺
	Penghu (Magong)	露螺
	Penghu (Xiyu)	露螺
	Singapore (Hokkien)	露螺
	Chaozhou	庵螺
	Shantou (Chaoyang)	庵螺蟲
	Jieyang	庵螺
	Bangkok (Teochew)	蝸牛
	Leizhou	麻露螺
	Wenchang	過路螺
	Haikou	毛露螺
Puxian Min	Putian	蝸牛
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	螺螄蟲
Wu	Shanghai	蝸牛
	Shanghai (Chongming)	蝸牛
	Suzhou	蝸牛, 背包蜒蚰
	Hangzhou	蝸牛
	Ningbo	蜒蚰螺, 蜒螺
	Wenzhou	蜒蚰螺
	Jinhua	蚰蚰螺
Xiang	Changsha	蝸牛, 天螺陀
	Loudi	山螺頭
	Shuangfeng	蝸牛, 山田螺

Derived terms

無殼蝸牛／无壳蜗牛

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
蝸	牛
か Hyōgaiji	ぎゅう Grade: 2
on’yomi

From Middle Chinese compound 蝸牛 (kwæ ngjuw, literally “snail + cow”).

Pronunciation

On’yomi: Kan’on

(Tokyo) かぎゅう [kàgyúú] (Heiban – [0])[1]
IPA^(key): [ka̠ɡʲɨᵝː]

Noun

蝸(か)牛(ぎゅう) • (kagyū) ^{←くわぎう (kwagiu)^?}

a snail
(anatomy) cochlea

Derived terms

蝸(か)牛(ぎゅう)角(かく)上(じょう)の争(あらそ)い (kagyūkakujō no arasoi)
蝸(か)牛(ぎゅう)管(かん) (kagyūkan)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
蝸	牛
Hyōgaiji	Grade: 2
irregular

Alteration of katatsuburi, in turn a compound of 堅 (kata, stem of adjective 固い (katai, “hard”)) + つぶり (tsuburi, “small round thing”, cognate with 頭 (tsuburi, “head”), 粒 (tsubu, “grain or kernel of rice”)).[2][1]

The kanji spelling is jukujikun (熟字訓).

Pronunciation

(Irregular reading)

(Tokyo) かたつむり [kàtátsúꜜmùrì] (Nakadaka – [3])[1][3]
IPA^(key): [ka̠ta̠t͡sɨᵝmɯ̟ᵝɾʲi]

Noun

蝸牛(かたつむり) • (katatsumuri)

a snail
- 1999 March 18, “デビルツムリ [Devilsnail]”, in Starter Box(スターターボックス), Konami:
  闇(やみ)の力(ちから)で進(しん)化(か)したカタツムリ。手(て)や足(あし)があり、速(はや)く動(うご)ける。
  Yami no chikara de shinka shita katatsumuri. Te ya ashi ga ari, hayaku ugokeru.
  A snail that evolved with the help of dark power. It can move quickly now that it has limbs.
- 2000 April 20, “メカニカルスネイル [Mechanical Snail]”, in Magic Ruler －魔法の支配者－, Konami:
  機(き)械(かい)に改(かい)造(ぞう)されたカタツムリ。しかし、スピードはあまり変(か)わらない。
  Kikai ni kaizō sareta katatsumuri. Shikashi, supīdo wa amari kawaranai.
  A snail that was mechanically enhanced, which didn’t make it any quicker.

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 カタツムリ.

Synonyms

(snail): 舞(まい)舞(まい) (maimai), 舞(まい)舞(まい)螺(つぶり) (maimaitsuburi)

Derived terms

食(しょく)用(よう)蝸(かた)牛(つむり) (shokuyōkatatsumuri)

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
蝸	牛
Hyōgaiji	Grade: 2
irregular

Alteration of ででむし (dedemushi, “snail”), itself a compound of でで (dede, from 出 (de, “come out”), from an old children's nursery rhyme calling for a snail to put out its eyestalks) + 虫 (mushi, “bug”).[2][1]

Pronunciation

(Irregular reading)

(Tokyo) でんでんむし [dèńdéꜜǹmùshì] (Nakadaka – [3])[1][3]
IPA^(key): [dẽ̞ndẽ̞mːɯ̟ᵝɕi]

Noun

蝸牛(でんでんむし) • (dendenmushi)

a snail

Compounds

Compounds with irregular readings

薄皮蝸牛(うすかわまいまい) (usukawamaimai)
左(ひだり)巻蝸牛(まきまいまい) (hidarimakimaimai)
一条蝸牛(ひとすじまいまい) (hitosujimaimai)
蝸牛(まいまい)被(かぶり) (maimaikaburi)
三条(みすじ)蝸牛(まいまい) (misujimaimai)

References

2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN

Korean

Hanja in this term
蝸	牛

Noun

蝸牛 • (wau) (hangeul 와우)

Hanja form^? of 와우 (“snail”).

[DJR-1] 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[KDJ-2] 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan

[NHK-3] 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN