獺
otter
Readings
On'yomi
- ダツ
- タツ
Kun'yomi
- うそ
- かわ
- かわうそ
Meaning
獺 centers on the otter, a water-loving animal. The meaning is specific to this creature, with no broader conceptual cluster.
Most common words using 獺
- 川獺かわうそ
otter (Lutra lutra)
- 小爪川獺こつめかわうそ
Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinerea)
- ユーラシア川獺ユーラシアかわうそ
European otter (Lutra lutra); common otter; Eurasian otter
- 大獺おおかわうそ
giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis); giant river otter
- 日本川獺にほんかわうそ
Japanese river otter (Lutra lutra whiteleyi)
- 海獺うみうそ
sea lion
- 獺祭だっさい
arraying a number of reference books in order to compose poetry; literary composition crammed with maxims, ancient episodes, legends, etc.
- 獺魚を祭るかわうそうおをまつる
one of the 72 climates (from the 16th to the 20th of the first lunar month)
Study
Etymology
獺 combines the animal radical 犭 with 賴, which likely contributes the sound. The character was created specifically for the otter.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 犭 signals an animal, and the right side 賴 looks complex like an otter's sleek, twisting body. Picture a playful otter sliding through water.
Reading mnemonic
For ダツ, imagine an otter darting through the water: dart -> ダツ, as the otter swiftly darts after fish.