Saturday, April 6, 2019

etymology - Why is the correct counter for rabbits 羽(わ)



Why is the correct counter for rabbits 羽(わ), the counter that is used for birds.


I figured it is because they jump, cause fly and jump are the same verb in Japanese, but then frogs are 匹.



Answer



I also heard the Buddhist monk story, but another theory is that while the word ウサギ is theorized to have come to Japanese from a Sanskrit origin through Korea, it was reinterpreted by some as う+鷺, providing a linguistic connection to birds and to the 羽 counter.


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