Japanese

土竜 (mogura, moguramochi, mugura, muguramochi, uguramochi, uguromochi, ugoromochi, doryū): a mole.

The uguramochi variant was either dialectal, or a later development.

With the beginning of the Edo period and the shift in the political and cultural center to Edo, uguramochi was superseded by the eastern dialectal form muguramochi. The 1603 日葡辞書 ‎(Nippo Jisho, “Japanese-Portuguese Dictionary”) lists one variant as mugura, indicating that the mochi portion could be dropped. This mugura then became mogura, possibly influenced by the verb 潜る ‎(moguru).

Pronunciation

• (Irregular reading)
• (Tokyo) もぐら [mògúrá] (Heiban - [0])^[1]
• IPA^(key): [mo̞ɡ̃ɯᵝɾ̠a̠]

Alternative forms

• モグラ
• 鼹鼠
• 鼴

Noun

土竜 ‎(shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai kanji 土龍, hiragana もぐら, katakana モグラ, romaji mogura)

1. (animal): a mole

Usage notes

Given the irregularity of the kanji reading, the もぐら spelling may be more common for this word in general use.

As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana in biological contexts, as モグラ.

Synonyms

• 田鼠 (でんそ) ‎(denso)

Derived terms

• 針土竜 (はりもぐら) ‎(harimogura): echidna

Etymology 2

Likely a shift in pronunciation from earlier eastern dialectal form muguramochi, possibly influenced by the verb 潜る ‎(moguru).

Pronunciation

• (Irregular reading)
• (Tokyo) もぐら​もち [mògúráꜜmòchì] (Nakadaka - [3])^[1]
• IPA^(key): [mo̞ɡ̃ɯᵝɾ̠a̠mo̞t͡ɕi]

Alternative forms

• 鼹鼠

Noun

土竜 ‎(hiragana もぐらもち, romaji moguramochi)

1. (animal): a mole

Usage notes

The もぐら reading further above is more common for this word.

Etymology 3

Shortening of earlier eastern dialectal form muguramochi.

Pronunciation

• (Irregular reading)
• IPA^(key): [mɯᵝɡ̃ɯᵝɾ̠a̠]

Alternative forms

• 鼹鼠

Noun

土竜 ‎(hiragana むぐら, romaji mugura)

1. (animal, rare, possibly obsolete): a mole

Usage notes

The もぐら reading further above is more common for this word.

Etymology 4

Eastern dialectal form of earlier uguramochi reading. Appears in the 日葡辞書 ‎(Nippo Jisho, “Japanese-Portuguese Dictionary”) published in 1603.^[1]

Pronunciation

• (Irregular reading)
• IPA^(key): [mɯᵝɡ̃ɯᵝɾ̠a̠mo̞t͡ɕi]

Alternative forms

• 鼹鼠

Noun

土竜 ‎(hiragana むぐらもち, romaji muguramochi)

1. (animal, rare, possibly obsolete): a mole

Etymology 5

Older western Japanese dialectal reading. Also appears with this reading in the 日葡辞書 ‎(Nippo Jisho, “Japanese-Portuguese Dictionary”) published in 1603.^[1]

Pronunciation

• (Irregular reading)
• IPA^(key): [ɯᵝɡ̃ɯᵝɾ̠a̠mo̞t͡ɕi]

Noun

土竜 ‎(hiragana うぐらもち, romaji uguramochi)

1. (animal, rare, possibly obsolete): a mole

Etymology 6

Variant of older western Japanese dialectal reading. Appears with this reading in the 玉葉和歌集 (Gyokuyō Wakashū, “Collection of Jeweled Leaves”) poetry compilation, completed in 1313-1314.^[2]

Pronunciation

• (Irregular reading)
• IPA^(key): [ɯᵝɡ̃ɯᵝɺ̠o̞mo̞t͡ɕi]

Alternative forms

• 墳
• 鼹鼠

Noun

土竜 ‎(hiragana うぐろもち, romaji uguromochi)

1. (animal, rare, possibly obsolete): a mole

Etymology 7

May be the oldest form. Appears with this reading in the 本草和名 ‎(Honzō Wamyō), a pharmacopoeia compiled some time in the years 901-923.^[1]

Derived as the 連用形 ‎(ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 墳つ ‎(ugumotsu, uguromotsu, ugomotsu, ugoromotsu, “to become a pile or small hill, as of soil”). See above for further details.

土竜 ‎(hiragana うごろもち, romaji ugoromochi)

1. (animal, obsolete): a mole

Etymology 8

From Middle Chinese compound 土龍 ‎(thu^X ljowng, literally “earth + dragon”). Compare modern Mandarin reading tǔlóng.

Pronunciation

• On'yomi
• (Tokyo) ど​りゅう [dóꜜryùù] (Atamadaka - [1])^[1]
• (Tokyo) どりゅう [dòryúú] (Heiban - [0])^[1]
• IPA^(key): [do̞rjɯᵝː]

Noun

土竜 ‎(hiragana どりゅう, romaji doryū)

1. (animal, rare): a mole
2. (rare): an earthworm
3. (figuratively): an outstanding horse, an excellent horse, a famous horse (by metaphor from the meaning of the kanji)

Synonyms

• (earthworm): 蚯蚓 (みみず) ‎(mimizu)
• (excellent horse): 竜馬 (りゅうめ) ‎(ryūme)

References

1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13905-9
2. ↑ 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan

• 深根 輔仁 (Fukane Sukehito), editor (901–923) 本草和名 (Honzō Wamyō, Japanese Names of the Real Herbs) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: 紅葉山文庫 (Momiji Yama Bunko, Autumn Leaves Mountain Books), OCLC 728064858, published 1796.
• Doi, Tadao (1603–1604) Hōyaku Nippo Jisho (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Iwanami Shoten, ISBN 978-4-00-080021-1, published 1980.