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マルミミゾウ (まるみみぞう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
noun
African forest elephant
usually written using kana alone
Refers specifically to Loxodonta cyclotis, a smaller elephant species found in the forests of Central and West Africa. Often contrasted with アフリカゾウ (African bush elephant).
See also: アフリカ象
The African forest elephant is smaller than the African bush elephant.
Written forms マルミミゾウ
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is standard for this animal name; usually written in kana.
丸まる 耳みみ 象ぞう
Kanji spelling exists but is rarely used; the katakana form is strongly preferred.
Kanji 丸 round, full (month), perfection 象 elephant, pattern after, imitate Etymology Compound of 丸 (まる, 'round') + 耳 (みみ, 'ear') + 象 (ぞう, 'elephant'), referring to the species' relatively round ears compared to the larger African bush elephant.