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ケナガネズミ (けながねずみ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

ケナガネズミ

け

な

が

ね

ず

み

Meanings

1

Ryukyu long-haired rat

usually written using kana alone

A rodent species (Diplothrix legata) endemic to the Ryukyu Islands. The name is a biological species name, not a general descriptive term.

ケナガネズミは沖おき縄なわ本ほん島とう北ほく部ぶと奄あま美

み

大おお

島しま

に

生せい

息そく

し

て

いる

。

The Ryukyu long-haired rat inhabits the northern part of Okinawa Island and Amami Ōshima.

Kanji

毛fur, hair, feather
長long, leader, superior
鼠rat, mouse, dark gray

Built from

毛け+長なが+ねずみ

Written forms

ケナガネズミ
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is standard for this species name; usually written in kana.
毛け長なが鼠ねずみ
Kanji spelling is rare and may not be widely recognized; the katakana form is strongly preferred.

Etymology

Compound of 毛長 (けなが, 'long-haired') and 鼠 (ねずみ, 'rat'), describing the animal's appearance. The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the spelling is conventionally associated with the species.