The Chinese character "魚" is read phonetically as "gyo", but has several kun-yomi readings, such as “ウオ (uo)", “お(o)", and “さかな(sakana)".
While the word " uo" has been used as a generic term for fish since the time of the Kiki Manyoshu (Kojiki, Nihon Shoki, Manyoshu), "sakana" seems to have started to be used in the same sense only relatively recently, in the modern period.
The Japanese Dictionary of the Japanese Language states, "It is thought that sakana, a generic term for fish species that originated in Edo (eastern Japan), gradually expanded its influence to western Japan, displacing the uo-based term.
The following is a summary of "Uo" and “Sakana".
◎”uo".
・"Uo" has been used as a generic term for fish since the time of the Kiki Manyoshu (Kojiki, Nihonshoki, Manyoshu).
・It was originally pronounced as "io.
・In old Japanese, it was written "uwo" (紆鳴), “uwo" (宇乎), etc.
・In western Japan, "uo" is still relatively common.
◎"Sakana"
・A word that has existed since the Nara period (710-794).
・The original meaning of "Sakana" is food served with sake. Sakana (snacks) for sake
⇒Sakana" is the combination of "saka" (sake) and "na" (side dish). Fish was often served as a side dish.
・It was not until the Edo period (1603-1867) that the meaning of "fish" was changed to
“魚”, and this term is more commonly used in the Kanto region.
◎ “gyo”
・Chinese phonetic reading of the kanji character of Chinese origin.
◎Others
・like a fish that has taken on water", "like a fish that has taken on water”
・"like a fish that has taken on water"
As an example of a personal name, the childhood name of Kukai, an esoteric Buddhist monk in the early Heian period, was Saeki no Mao.
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記事更新日：2024/04/26
