earticle

영어

This study focuses on puffer designations in Japan, how the puffer was named in each country from ancient through modern times, and where these designations originated, and tries to determine characteristics of each country’s puffer designations through investigation of the species and types of puffer. The results of the research analysis are as follows. Firstly, pufferfish have a very unique appearance, sounds habits, etc. Various names exist in relation to these unique characteristics. Secondly, In the case of Japan, the Chinese term 河豚for pufferfish has been used. Otherwise many other pufferfish designations are regional and derived from Japanese sounds, pufferfish habit, or differing pufferfish species. For example, pufferfish are named “河豚(ふく: fuku)”. Pufferfish had been named “布久(ふく: fuku)” and then given with various similar-sounding names like “ふぐ (fugu), ふく(fuku), フク(fuku), ふくべ(fukube), ふくへ(fukue)” etc. Pufferfish were also called “福 (ふく: fuku)” meaning lucky fish. These are all results of homophonic phenomena creating designations for pufferfish. For another example of naming pufferfish, “鐵砲(てっぽう: teppō)” was made to warn diners about the hazards of pufferfish toxin. Designations such as “とらふぐ(fugu), からす(karasu), シマフグ(shimafugu)”etc. Thirdly, compared with the other two countries, specific records of etymologies and origins of puffer designations remained in China, where Chinese characters had been created, and more precise information about puffer designations were obtained. Otherwise, to account for the geographical effect in species-based puffer designations, more numerous pufferfish species inhabited Japan, and more diverse pufferfish designations concerning the various species were found in Japan than in China.