also: ぶんぼちょう
grey nightjar (Caprimulgus indicus)
Specific species; in everyday use, often just called ヨタカ without species distinction.
The grey nightjar is a nocturnal bird that rests on tree branches during the day.
nightjar (any bird of family Caprimulgidae); goatsucker
General term for nightjars; 'goatsucker' is an old English name rarely used today.
Nightjars are widely distributed around the world.
streetwalker (Edo period); low-class prostitute
Only when written 夜鷹
Historical term from the Edo period; written 夜鷹, referring to women who walked the streets at night. Not used in modern Japanese.
In the Edo period, women called yotaka stood on the streets at night.
nighttime soba vendor; soba sold at night
Only when written 夜鷹
Abbreviation of 夜鷹蕎麦; refers to Edo-period vendors who sold soba from portable stalls at night, or the soba itself. Historical term.
See also: 夜鷹そば
Yotaka soba was soba sold from street stalls at night.
Full term for the nighttime soba vendor or the soba itself; 夜鷹 is an abbreviation.
nighttime soba vendor; night-hawk soba
common nighthawk (Chordeiles minor)
whip-poor-will; whippoorwill
Katakana spelling is standard for this bird name; usually written in kana.
Kanji spelling; rare for the bird, but used in historical contexts for the Edo-period prostitute and soba vendor senses.
Hiragana spelling, also common.
Rare kanji spelling for the bird; reading ぶんぼちょう is specific to this form.
Rare kanji spelling for the bird.
The name ヨタカ (夜鷹) literally means 'night hawk,' referring to the bird's nocturnal habits. The historical senses derive from the bird's association with night activity.