鯱
fabulous dolphin-like fish, killer whale, (kokuji)
Readings
On'yomi
—
Kun'yomi
- しゃちほこ
- しゃち
Meaning
鯱 centers on a mythical sea creature that resembles a dolphin or killer whale, often depicted as a fierce, tiger-like fish. It is a Japanese kokuji, so its meaning is culturally specific to this fabulous beast.
Most common words using 鯱
- 鯱しゃち
orca (Orcinus orca); killer whale; grampus
- 鯱しゃちほこ
shachihoko; shachi; mythical animal with the head of a tiger and the body of a fish
- 小鯱海豚こしゃちいるか
Haviside's dolphin (Cephalorhynchus heavisidii)
- 金の鯱きんのしゃち
golden shachihoko (ornament)
- 金鯱きんしゃち
golden shachihoko (ornament)
- 鯱張るしゃちほこばる
to stand on ceremony
- 鯱瓦しゃちほこがわら
ridge-end tile with the figure of a shachihoko (e.g. on a castle)
- 鯱鉾立ちさっちょこだち
handstand; headstand
Study
Etymology
鯱 is a Japanese kokuji created by combining 魚 (fish) and 虎 (tiger) to represent a mythical tiger-like fish. The character was likely coined to describe the shachihoko, a creature with a fish body and tiger head.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side is 魚 (fish) and the right side is 虎 (tiger). Imagine a fierce fish with the head and ferocity of a tiger: that's the fabulous dolphin-like killer whale, 鯱.
Reading mnemonic
For しゃちほこ, picture a shachihoko statue on a castle roof, with its tiger-fish body arching up: "sha-chi-ho-ko" sounds like the creature's name itself, so just remember the mythical beast and its name together.