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シラミバエ (しらみばえ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

シラミバエ

し

ら

み

ば

え

Meanings

1

noun

louse fly; hippoboscid

usually written using kana alone

Refers to any fly of the family Hippoboscidae, which are ectoparasites of birds and mammals. The Japanese name literally means 'louse fly'.

シラミバエは鳥とりや哺ほ乳にゅう類るいに寄き生せいする。
Louse flies parasitize birds and mammals.
ハトにシラミバエがついていた。
There was a louse fly on the pigeon.

Written forms

シラミバエ
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is common for this insect name; usually written in kana.
虱しらみ蠅ばえ
Kanji form using 虱 (louse) and 蠅 (fly); rarely used in practice.
虱しらみ蝿ばえ
Variant kanji form with 蝿 (fly); also rare.

Kanji

虱lice, vermin
蠅

fly

蝿fly

Similar words

シラミ
シラミ means 'louse', while シラミバエ is a fly that resembles or parasitizes lice.
ハエ
ハエ is the general term for 'fly'; シラミバエ is a specific family of flies.

Etymology

Compound of シラミ (louse) and ハエ (fly), referring to its louse-like parasitic nature. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.