8.7. Vertebrates



8.7.1. The Chinese twelve animal order


Have you ever heard of the Chinese twelve animal order? Each year is associated to one of the twelve animals in Chinese custom, and it is used mainly for fortune-telling. Japanese people also know the twelve animals, whether they believe fortune-telling or not. You can calculate the animal of the year when you were born. The year 1996 is associated to the first animal rat, 1997 is to the ox, 1998 is to the tiger, and so on. I was born in 1970, the year of the dog. This order doesn't mean order of importance at all.

OrderAnimalDescription
1
Hiragana:(ne)(zu)(mi)
Phonemes:nezumi
Romanization:nezumi
Rat, mouse.
2
Hiragana:(u)(si)
Phonemes:usi
Romanization:ushi
Ox, cow.
3
Hiragana:(to)(ra)
Phonemes:tora
Romanization:tora
Tiger.
4
Hiragana:(u)(sa)(gi)
Phonemes:usagi
Romanization:usagi
Rabbit, hare.
5
Hiragana:(ri)(small yu)(u)
Phonemes:ryu'u
Romanization:ryû
Dragon. Of course it is an imaginary animal. The word (ta)(tu) /ta' tu/ "tatsu" also means dragon, and it is more commonly used for the year of the dragon.
6
Hiragana:(he)(bi)
Phonemes:he'bi
Romanization:hebi
Snake.
7
Hiragana:(u)(ma)
Phonemes:uma'
Romanization:uma
Horse.
8
Hiragana:(hi)(tu)(zi)
Phonemes:hituzi
Romanization:hitsuji
Sheep. In China, the year of the goat ((ya)(gi) /ya' gi/ "yagi" in Japanese) is used instead of the sheep.
9
Hiragana:(sa)(ru)
Phonemes:sa'ru
Romanization:saru
Monkey.
10
Hiragana:(ni)(wa)(to)(ri)
Phonemes:niwatori
Romanization:niwatori
Chicken. The word (ni)(wa) /ni wa/ "niwa" means yard, and (to)(ri) /to ri/ "tori" means bird. The latter is more commonly used for the year of the chicken than (ni)(wa)(to)(ri) /ni wa to ri/ "niwatori" is.
11
Hiragana:(i)(nu)
Phonemes:inu'
Romanization:inu
Dog.
12
Hiragana:(i)(no)(si)(si)
Phonemes:inosi'si
Romanization:inoshishi
Wild boar. In China, the year of the pig ((bu)(ta) /bu ta/ "buta" in Japanese) is used instead of the wild boar.


8.7.2. Mammals


Hiragana:(ta)(nu)(ki)
Phonemes:ta'nuki
Romanization:tanuki
Meaning:raccoon dog

Note: Raccoon dogs are animals of the dog family native to Japan that look like raccoons. They often appear in fairy tales as mischievous animals with magic power. They are often described to be stupid.

Hiragana:(ki)(tu)(ne)
Phonemes:kitune
Romanization:kitsune
Meaning:fox

Note: Foxes often appear in fairy tales as sly animals with magic power.

Hiragana:(o)(o)(ka)(mi)
Phonemes:o'okami
Romanization:ôkami
Meaning:wolf

Note: This word comes from the adjective (o)(o)(ki)(i) /o o ki' i/ "ôkii" (big) and the noun (ka)(mi) /ka' mi/ "kami" (god), so it literally means great god. Wolves were not considered evil in Japanese culture. Wolves went extinct a few hundred years ago in Japan.

Hiragana:(ra)(i)(o)(n)
Phonemes:raioN
Romanization:raion
Meaning:lion

Note: Since this is an imported word, katakana are used. Japanese doesn't have the sound of English "l", so it is changed to Japanese "r".

Hiragana:(hi)(small yo)(u)
Phonemes:hyo'u
Romanization:hyô
Meaning:panther

Hiragana:(ku)(ma)
Phonemes:ku'ma
Romanization:kuma
Meaning:bear

Hiragana:(si)(ka)
Phonemes:sika
Romanization:shika
Meaning:deer

Hiragana:(zo)(u)
Phonemes:zo'u
Romanization:
Meaning:elephant

Hiragana:(ki)(ri)(n)
Phonemes:kiriN
Romanization:kirin
Meaning:giraffe

Hiragana:(sa)(i)
Phonemes:sa'i
Romanization:sai
Meaning:rhinoceros

Hiragana:(ka)(ba)
Phonemes:ka'ba
Romanization:kaba
Meaning:hippopotamus

Hiragana:(ra)(ku)(da)
Phonemes:rakuda
Romanization:rakuda
Meaning:camel

Hiragana:(ba)(ku)
Phonemes:ba'ku
Romanization:baku
Meaning:tapir

Hiragana:(ku)(zi)(ra)
Phonemes:kuzira
Romanization:kujira
Meaning:whale

Hiragana:(i)(ru)(ka)
Phonemes:iruka
Romanization:iruka
Meaning:dolphin

Hiragana:(a)(si)(ka)
Phonemes:asika
Romanization:ashika
Meaning:sea lion

Hiragana:(a)(za)(ra)(si)
Phonemes:aza'rasi
Romanization:azarashi
Meaning:seal


8.7.3. Birds


Hiragana:(ka)(ra)(su)
Phonemes:ka'rasu
Romanization:karasu
Meaning:crow, raven

Hiragana:(ha)(to)
Phonemes:ha'to
Romanization:hato
Meaning:pigeon

Hiragana:(su)(zu)(me)
Phonemes:suzume
Romanization:suzume
Meaning:sparrow

Hiragana:(tu)(ba)(me)
Phonemes:tubame
Romanization:tsubame
Meaning:swallow

Hiragana:(u)(gu)(i)(su)
Phonemes:ugu'isu
Romanization:uguisu
Meaning:Japanese nightingale

Note: Japanese nightingales are diurnal birds found in the spring.

Hiragana:(ki)(zi)
Phonemes:kizi
Romanization:kiji
Meaning:pheasant

For your interest: The pheasant is the symbol bird of Japan. They are so rare now that I have never seen a wild pheasant.

Hiragana:(ka)(mo)
Phonemes:ka'mo
Romanization:kamo
Meaning:wild duck

Hiragana:(a)(hi)(ru)
Phonemes:ahiru
Romanization:ahiru
Meaning:domestic duck

Hiragana:(ga)(ti)(small yo)(u)
Phonemes:gatyou
Romanization:gachô
Meaning:goose

Hiragana:(i)(n)(ko)
Phonemes:i'Nko
Romanization:inko
Meaning:macaw, parrakeet

Hiragana:(o)(u)(mu)
Phonemes:oumu
Romanization:ômu
Meaning:parrot

Hiragana:(ka)(mo)(me)
Phonemes:kamome
Romanization:kamome
Meaning:sea gull


8.7.4. Reptiles and amphibians


Hiragana:(ka)(me)
Phonemes:ka'me
Romanization:kame
Meaning:tortoise

Hiragana:(wa)(ni)
Phonemes:wa'ni
Romanization:wani
Meaning:crocodile

Hiragana:(to)(ka)(ge)
Phonemes:tokage
Romanization:tokage
Meaning:lizard

Hiragana:(ka)(e)(ru)
Phonemes:kaeru
Romanization:kaeru
Meaning:frog


8.7.5. Fish


Japan is famous for sea food, and probably Japanese has more words for (sa)(ka)(na) /sa ka na/ "sakana" (fish) than any other language. The translation of the words listed here is not precise because English doesn't have many words for fish.

You can eat all of these fish. (I can't. I'm an unlucky Japanese allergic to fish and I get stomachache after eating fish!)

Hiragana:(ma)(gu)(ro)
Phonemes:maguro
Romanization:maguro
Meaning:tuna

Hiragana:(u)(na)(gi)
Phonemes:unagi
Romanization:unagi
Meaning:eel

Hiragana:(sa)(n)(ma)
Phonemes:saNma
Romanization:samma
Meaning:mackerel pike

Hiragana:(a)(zi)
Phonemes:a'zi
Romanization:aji
Meaning:horse mackerel

Hiragana:(bu)(ri)
Phonemes:bu'ri
Romanization:buri
Meaning:yellowtail

Hiragana:(hu)(gu)
Phonemes:hu'gu
Romanization:fugu
Meaning:fugu

For your interest: The fugu is delicious white-meat fish, but eating it can be dangerous because it has deadly poison. You need a license to cook fugu in Japan.

Hiragana:(sa)(ke)
Phonemes:sa'ke
Romanization:sake
Meaning:salmon

Hiragana:(sa)(me)
Phonemes:same
Romanization:same
Meaning:shark

For your interest: Few Japanese people eat shark, except for Chinese shark fin soup, which is one of the three finest Chinese cuisines. (The other two are bird's nest soup and sea cucumber.) The word (hu)(ka) /hu ka/ "fuka" also means shark, and it is more often used for shark fins for the soup.



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