海獺

海獺

1. sea otter

Borrowing from Ainu ラッコ (rakko, “otter”).^[1][2] The kanji spelling is from Chinese 海獺 / 海獭 (hǎitǎ), and is jukujikun (熟(じゅく)字(じ)訓(くん)).

• (Tokyo) らっこ [ràkkó] (Heiban – [0])^[2]
• (Tokyo) らっこ [ráꜜkkò] (Atamadaka – [1])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [ɾa̠k̚ko̞]

海獺(らっこ) or 海獺(ラッコ) • (rakko) 

1. sea otter, Enhydra lutris

As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana, especially in biological contexts (where katakana is customary), as ラッコ (rakko).

• 獺(うそ) (uso): an otter (usually refers to a river otter, but can also refer to a sea otter; rakko is more common for a sea otter)
• 川獺(かわうそ) (kawauso): a river otter

Compound of 海 (umi, “sea”) +‎ 獺 (uso, “otter”);^[1][2] see 川獺 (kawauso). Possibly from the superficial similarities between sea otters and (particularly young) sea lions.

• (Tokyo) うみうそ [ùmíúsó] (Heiban – [0])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [ɯ̟mʲiɯ̟so̞]

海(うみ)獺(うそ) • (umiuso) 

1. (archaic) synonym of 海驢 (ashika, “sea lion”)

The term 海驢 (ashika) is much more common for the sea lion sense.

/umiwoso/ → /umioso/

Rare variant of umiuso above.^[1][2] May be the original form.

• IPA^(key): [ɯ̟mʲio̞so̞]

海(うみ)獺(おそ) • (umioso) ^{←うみをそ (umiwoso)?}

1. (rare) synonym of 海驢 (ashika, “sea lion”)

From Middle Chinese 海獺 / 海獭 (xoj^X that, literally “sea + otter”). Compare modern Cantonese reading hoi² caat³.

Note that the meaning diverged in Japanese from the original Chinese sense. See umiuso above for more.

• IPA^(key): [ka̠ita̠t͡sɨ]

海(かい)獺(たつ) • (kaitatsu) 

1. (rare) synonym of 海驢 (ashika, “sea lion”)
2. (rare) synonym of 海豹 (azarashi, “seal”)

The term 海驢 (ashika) is much more common for the sea lion sense. The term 海豹 (azarashi) is much more common for the seal sense.

Rare variant of kaitatsu above, using the 慣用音 (kan'yōon) of datsu for the 獺 character.

• IPA^(key): [ka̠ida̠t͡sɨ]

海(かい)獺(だつ) • (kaidatsu) 

1. (very rare) synonym of 海驢 (ashika, “sea lion”)
2. (very rare) synonym of 海豹 (azarashi, “seal”)

The term 海驢 (ashika) is much more common for the sea lion sense. The term 海豹 (azarashi) is much more common for the seal sense.

• “〈海^▲獺〉”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[1] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2026

海獺 • (haedal or McCune-Reischauer: haedal or Yale: hāytal) (hangeul 해달)

1. hanja form^? of 해달 (“sea otter”)