海老

海老

1. (literary, of a sea) to dry up

海老

1. (literary) alcohol

/jepi/ → /jebi/ → /ebi/

Possibly from Old Japanese, first attested in the Honzō Wamyō (918 CE).

Ultimate derivation unclear, with theories including:

• Shift in meaning from ebi, ancient reading of modern 葡萄 (budō, “grape”), from a resemblance in color
• Shift in reading from epige, proposed compound of 良い (ei, “good”) + 髭 (pige → hige, “beard”) from the bearded appearance
• Shift in reading from epige, proposed compound of 江 (e, “inlet, bay”) + 髭 (pige → hige, “beard”) from the bearded appearance

Appears as Yebi in the Nippo Jisho of 1603.[1]

The kanji spelling is jukujikun (熟字訓), in reference to the vague resemblance to a stooped old man. See the kairō reading below.

• 蝦, 鰕, 魵

• (Irregular reading)
  • (Tokyo) えび [èbí] (Heiban – [0])[2]
  • IPA^(key): [e̞bʲi]

海老 (hiragana えび, katakana エビ, rōmaji ebi)

1. any long-tailed decapod crustacean or arthropod:
   1. a crayfish

      Hyponyms: 蝲蛄 (zarigani), 蝉海老 (semiebi)

   2. a lobster

      Synonym: ロブスター (robsutā)

      Hyponym: 海蝲蛄 (umi zarigani)

   3. a prawn

      Synonym: プローン (purōn)

      Hyponyms: 車海老 (kuruma-ebi), 大正海老 (Taishō ebi)

   4. a shrimp

      Synonym: シュリンプ (shurinpu)

2. Short for 海老錠 (ebijō): a padlock
3. a type of 家紋 (kamon, “family crest”) with an ebi motif

This term is more generic than the English glosses. Where necessary, the meaning can be clarified by indicating type or size:

• 小 (こ)海 (え)老 (び) (koebi): shrimp, literally “small ebi”
• 伊 (い)勢 (せ)海 (え)老 (び) (Ise ebi): spiny lobster (without big claws, unlike the North American lobster)

• 海老 (えび)で鯛 (たい)を釣 (つ)る (ebi de tai o tsuru) 海 (え)老 (び)鯛 (たい) (ebitai)
• 海老 (えび)の鯛 (たい)交 (ま)じり (ebi no tai majiri)

• 鱧 (はも)も一 (いち)期 (ご)、海 (え)老 (び)も一 (いち)期 (ご) (hamo mo ichigo, ebi mo ichigo)

海老 (hiragana えび, rōmaji Ebi)

1. a place name
2. a surname

*/kairau/ → /kairɔː/ → /kairoː/

Probably a coinage in Japan of Middle Chinese-derived elements, as 海 (kai, “sea, ocean”) + 老 (rō, “elder, old person”), in reference to the vague resemblance to a stooped old man.

Appears as Cairǒ in the Nippo Jisho of 1603.[3]

• On’yomi
  • (Tokyo) かいろー [kàíróó] (Heiban – [0])[2]
  • IPA^(key): [ka̠iɾo̞ː]

海老 (hiragana かいろう, rōmaji kairō, historical hiragana かいらう)

1. any long-tailed decapod crustacean or arthropod:
   1. a crayfish
   2. a lobster
   3. a prawn
   4. a shrimp

This reading is less common than ebi above.

• 海老 (かいろう)尾 (び) (kairōbi)

海老 (hiragana かいろう, rōmaji Kairō, historical hiragana かいらう)

1. a place name