ホンハブ

Meanings

Okinawan habu; Trimeresurus flavoviridis

usually written using kana alone

A venomous pit viper native to the Ryukyu Islands, especially Okinawa. The name distinguishes it from other habu species.

Kanji

本book, present, main
波waves, billows, Poland
布linen, cloth, spread
飯meal, boiled rice
匙spoon
倩carefully, attentively, profoundly

Related words

ハブ
ハブ is a broader term for habu snakes, while ホンハブ specifically refers to Trimeresurus flavoviridis, the most well-known species in Okinawa.

Built from

本ほん+ハブ

Written forms

ほんはぶ
Hiragana spelling is also used, but katakana is more common for animal names.
本ほん波は布ぶ
Kanji spelling is rarely used; the second kanji form 本飯匙倩 is marked as rarely used kanji form.
本ほん飯匙倩はぶ
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.

Etymology

The name combines 本 (hon, 'main' or 'true') with ハブ (habu), the Okinawan name for pit vipers, to distinguish this species from other habu. The exact origin of 'habu' is uncertain, but it is a local Ryukyuan word.