くぢら

Japanese

For pronunciation and definitions of くぢら – see the following entry.

【鯨くじら】S [noun] a whale (large sea mammal) Alternative spelling クジラ

(This term, くぢら, is a historical kana spelling of the above term.) For a list of all kanji read as くぢら, see Category:Japanese kanji read as くぢら.)

Old Japanese

Etymology

From Proto-Japonic *kuntira.

Noun

くぢら (kudira)

1. a whale
   • 711–712, Kojiki, (poem 9):

     宇陀能多加紀爾志藝和那波留和賀麻都夜志藝波佐夜良受伊須久波斯久治良佐夜流...

     Uda no₂ takaki₂ ni sigi₁wana paru waga matu ya sigi₁ pa sayarazu isukupasi kudira sayaru...

     At Uda’s tall fortress, he had set up a trap for snipers. I can wait; the snipers will get caught. A whale, that is an edible one, gets caught...

   • 720, Nihon Shoki, (poem 7):

     于儾能多伽機珥辭藝和奈破蘆和餓末菟夜辭藝破佐夜羅孺伊殊區波辭區泥羅佐夜離...

     Uda no₂ takaki₂ ni sigi₁wana paru waga matu ya sigi₁ pa sayarazu isukupasi kudira sayari...

     At Uda’s tall fortress, he had set up a trap for snipers. I can wait; the snipers will get caught. A whale, that is an edible one, has gotten caught...

Descendants

• Japanese: 鯨 (kujira)