Definify.com

Definition 2024

火鼠

火鼠

Chinese

 
fire; angry; fierce; fiery; thriving
 rat; mouse
simp. and trad.
(火鼠) 		火 鼠

Noun

火鼠

  1. A fire rat/mouse; a kind of yāoguài, a supernatural creature.

See also

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
火 鼠
ひ
Grade: 1 		ねずみ
Hyōgaiji
kun'yomi

Compound of Old Japanese elements 火 ‎(hi, “fire”) +‎ 鼠 ‎(nezumi, “rat, mouse”).[1][2]

Pronunciation

Noun

火鼠 ‎(hiragana ひねずみ, romaji hinezumi)

  1. a fire-rat: an imaginary creature of ancient China resembling a white rat, thought to live in the volcanoes of the South China Sea and to have fireproof fur
    • 10th century: The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter
      唐土にある、火鼠の裘を給へ
      もろこしにある、ひねずみのかわごろもをたまえ
      Morokoshi ni aru, hinezumi no kawagoromo o tamae
      Get me the fur robe of the fire-rat in China...
Derived terms

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
火 鼠
か
Grade: 1 		そ
Hyōgaiji
on'yomi

/kwaso/ → /kaso/

From Middle Chinese compound 火鼠 ‎(*xuɑ̌ *shiǔ, literally “fire rat”). Date of borrowing unknown.

Pronunciation

Noun

火鼠 ‎(hiragana かそ, romaji kaso, historical hiragana くわそ)

  1. a fire-rat (see above)
Usage notes

The hinezumi reading is more common.

References

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

Pronunciation

Similar Results