鰹

Han character

 * 1) a skipjack tuna, a bonito,  (Japanese)
 * 2) a great eel (Classical Chinese)
 * 3) a kind of shark

Glyph origin
.

Kanji

 * 1) skipjack tuna, oceanic bonito

Etymology


From katuwo. Found in the  of 759.

→ →

Two possible derivations:
 * A shift from a compound of 🇰🇲, from the long-standing practice of drying lower-grade tuna into hard blocks, in part due to the common presence of parasites. A folk etymology also derives this kanji character, compare →  and  →.
 * A shift from a compound of 🇰🇲.

Considering the rules of phonology, specifically that two vowels are not allowed in sequence, resulting in elision or fusion, the kata + uo → katuo shift seems likely.

Noun

 * 1) a skipjack tuna,
 * 2)  a log on the roof of a shrine set perpendicular to the ridgepole
 * 3)  smoked and dried skipjack tuna
 * 4)   a biting midge; a water strider