鯰
fresh-water catfish, (kokuji)
Readings
On'yomi
- ネン
Kun'yomi
- なまず
Meaning
鯰 centers on the freshwater catfish, a specific fish species. It is a kokuji, a kanji created in Japan, so its meaning is tightly bound to that one creature.
Most common words using 鯰
- 鯰なまず
catfish (esp. the Amur catfish, Silurus asotus)
- ヨーロッパ大鯰ヨーロッパおおなまず
Wels catfish (Silurus glanis)
- 琵琶湖大鯰びわこおおなまず
Lake Biwa catfish (Silurus biwaensis)
- 瓢箪鯰ひょうたんなまず
(person) slippery as an eel
- 痺鯰しびれなまず
electric catfish (any species of family Malapteruridae, esp. species Malapterurus electricus)
- 逆さ鯰さかさなまず
upside-down catfish (Synodontis nigriventris)
- 電気鯰でんきなまず
electric catfish (any species of family Malapteruridae, esp. species Malapterurus electricus)
- 鯰絵なまずえ
woodblock print depicting a giant catfish (popular in Edo after the 1855 earthquake)
Study
Etymology
鯰 is a kokuji formed by combining 魚 (fish) with 念, which likely contributes the sound ネン. It was created in Japan to represent the freshwater catfish.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 魚 means fish, and the right side 念 suggests the idea of something sticky or clinging, like a catfish's smooth, adhesive skin. Picture a fish that seems to cling to the riverbed.
Reading mnemonic
For ネン, imagine a catfish named Nen swimming in a pond: Nen -> ネン, and the fish's whiskers twitch as it glides through the water.