noun
Atypus karschi (a type of trapdoor spider)
Only when written 土蜘蛛
A mygalomorph spider native to East Asia. In Japanese, usually written in kana. The kanji 土蜘蛛 literally means 'earth spider'.
See also: 地蜘蛛
つちぐもは地面に穴を掘って巣を作る。
The tsuchigumo digs a hole in the ground and builds a nest.
noun
tsuchigumo (ancient non-Yamato people)
Historical term for indigenous or non-Yamato groups in ancient Japan, often portrayed as earth-dwelling or cave-dwelling people in early chronicles. The kanji 土雲 is sometimes used.
古事記には、つちぐもと呼ばれる人々が登場する。
In the Kojiki, people called tsuchigumo appear.
Refers to ground spiders in general (family Gnaphosidae), while つちぐも specifically denotes the mygalomorph species Atypus karschi.
Literally 'earth spider' or 'earth cloud'. The spider sense is a direct compound of 土 (earth) and 蜘蛛 (spider). The ancient people sense may derive from a different origin, possibly a derogatory term likening them to earth-dwelling creatures, but the exact derivation is uncertain.