noun
catfish
Refers to catfish, especially the Amur catfish (Silurus asotus). Commonly associated with earthquake lore.
ナマズは川の底に住んでいる。
Catfish live at the bottom of rivers.
日本ではナマズが地震を予知するという言い伝えがある。
In Japan, there is a legend that catfish predict earthquakes.
noun
Archaic slang for earthquake, derived from the folk belief that a giant catfish causes earthquakes.
江戸時代には地震のことを「ナマズ」と呼ぶことがあった。
In the Edo period, earthquakes were sometimes called 'namazu'.
Standard modern word for earthquake; ナマズ in the earthquake sense is archaic slang.
The word is native Japanese. The kanji 鯰 is a kokuji (Japanese-made kanji) combining 魚 (fish) and 念 (thought, care), possibly reflecting the catfish's perceived sensitivity or the folk belief linking it to earthquakes.