also: いさ
noun
Archaic word for whale, used in classical Japanese literature and poetry. In modern Japanese, 鯨 (くじら) is the standard term.
古事記には「いさな」という言葉で鯨が登場する。
In the Kojiki, whales appear under the word 'isana'.
万葉集で「いさなとり」は枕詞として使われている。
In the Man'yōshū, 'isanatori' is used as a pillow word.
Shortened archaic reading for 鯨, found in old texts.
Rare archaic compound spelling for whale.
Modern standard word for whale. いさな is its archaic equivalent, now only encountered in classical contexts.
The exact derivation is uncertain. The reading いさな may be related to 勇 (isa, 'bravery') and 魚 (na, 'fish'), but this is speculative. The shortened form いさ is even rarer.