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Brief Entries

夏【なつ】:動物 【どうぶつ】
natsu: dōbutsu, Summer: Animals

蝙蝠 【こうもり】 kōmori, (かうもり), bat (all summer).
【かわほり】 kawahori, bat [old reading for above]
蚊喰鳥 【かくいどり】 kakuidori, bat [literally "mosquito-eating bird"]
青蛙 【あおがえる】 aogaeru, (あおがへる), green frog [hyla species] (all summer).
雨蛙 【あまがえる】 amagaeru, tree frog [literally "rain frog"]
夏蛙 【なつがえる】 natsugaeru, summer frog [note that "frog" by itself, 蛙【かわず】 kawazu, is a spring seasonal topic]
蟇 【ひきがえる】 hikigaeru, (ひきがへる), toad [Bufo vulgaris] (all summer).
蟾 【ひき】 hiki, toad
蟾蜍 【ひきがえる】 hikigaeru, toad
蝦蟇 【がま】 gama, toad
河鹿 【かじか】 kajika, river frog / singing frog [Polypedates buergeri, noted for beautiful singing] (all summer).
河鹿蛙 【かじかがえる】 kajikagaeru, river frog
河鹿笛 【かじかぶえ】 kajikabue, river frog's flute [metaphorical for its singing]
蜥蜴(石龍子/龍子) 【とかげ】 tokage, lizard [in Japan, generally a skink, family Scincidae] (all summer).
青蜥蜴 【あおとかげ】 aotokage, blue skink
縞蜥蜴 【しまとかげ】 shimatokage, striped skink [Eumeces species]
蛇 【へび】 hebi, snake (all summer).
【くちなわ】 kuchinawa, snake
羽抜鳥 【はぬけどり】 hanukedori, molting bird (late summer).
羽脱鶏 【はぬけどり】 hanukedori, molting chicken
抜羽 【ぬけは】 nukeha, molted feather
時鳥 【ほととぎす】 hototogisu, little cuckoo [kanji literally "bird of time"] (all summer).
子規 【ほととぎす】 hototogisu, little cuckoo [kanji suggest the cuckoo's habit of laying eggs in other bird's nests]
不如帰 【ほととぎす】 hototogisu, little cuckoo [kanji suggest homelessness]
杜鵑 【ほととぎす】 hototogisu, little cuckoo [kanji literally "woods cuckoo"]
蜀魂 【ほととぎす】 hototogisu, little cuckoo [kanji literally "spirit of Szechuan"]
閑古鳥 【かんこどり】 kankodori, cuckoo [Cuculus canorus, the common cuckoo of Eurasia; can also refer to the closely related oriental or himalayan cuckoo, C. saturatus] (all summer).
郭公 【かっこう】 kakkō, cuckoo [the same]
かっこ鳥 【かっこどり】 kakkodori, cuckoo [the same; has dozens of local common names]
老鶯 【おいうぐいす】 oi-uguisu, (おいうぐひす), summer bush warbler [literally "old bush warbler"] (all summer).
老鶯 【ろうおう】 rōō, old bush warbler [note: homonym for 老翁【ろうおう】 rōō, old master]
夏鶯 【なつうぐいす】 natsu uguisu, summer bush warbler
残鶯 【ざんおう】 zan'ō, remaining bush warbler
乱鶯 【らんおう】 ran'ō, late bush warbler
鶯老を鳴く 【うぐいすおいをなく】 uguisu oi wo naku, uguisu cries of old age
【葭切【よしきり】(葦切)】 yoshi-kiri, reed warbler [literally "reed-cutter"; Acrocephalus species] (all summer).
行行子(仰仰子) 【ぎょうぎょうし】 gyōgyōshi, reed warbler [from its vocalization]
葭雀 【よしすずめ】 yoshi-suzume, reed warbler [literally "reed sparrow"]
葭原雀 【よしはらすずめ】 yoshihara-suzume, reed-plain warbler [literal]
葦原雀 【あしはらすずめ】 ashihara-suzume, bull-rush-plain warbler [literal]
浮巣 【うきす】 ukisu, floating nest [most often associated with the little grebe, though may include the nests of other waterfowl] (all summer).
鳰の浮巣 【におのうきす】 nio no ukisu, grebe's floating nest
鳰の巣 【におのす】 nio no su, grebe's nest nest
通し鴨 【とうしがも】 tōshigamo, (とほしがも), sojourner duck(s) (all summer).
青鷺 【あおさぎ】 aosagi, (あをさぎ), grey heron [literally "blue heron"; Ardea cinerea] (all summer).
濁り鮒 【にごりぶな】 nigoribuna, muddy carp [muddy from swimming up river to spawn] (mid summer).
濁りを掬う 【にごりをすくう】 nigori o sukuu, (to) scoop up muddy (carp) [with a net]
鮎 【あゆ】 ayu, ayu / sweetfish [Plecoglossus altivelia; sometimes translated "trout", as both fish are small, freshwater delicacies] (all summer).
年魚 【ねんぎょ】 nengyo, ayu / sweetfish [literally "annual fish"]
香魚 【こうぎょ】 kōgyo, ayu / sweetfish [literally "fragrant fish"]
山女 【やまめ】 yamame, cherry salmon [literally "mountain maiden"; Oncorhynchus masou] (all summer).
山女魚 【やまめうお】 yamameuo, cherry salmon
山女釣 【やまめつり】 yamame-tsuri, fishing for yamame
金魚 【きんぎょ】 kingyo, goldfish (all summer).
熱帯魚 【ねったいぎょ】 nettaigyo, tropical fish (all summer).
天使魚 【てんしぎょ】 tenshigyo, angelfish
闘魚 【とうぎょ】 tōgyo, fighting fish
鰹 【かつお】 katsuo, (かつを), bonito (all summer).
松漁 【かつお】 katsuo, bonito [kanji literally "pine fish"]
堅漁 【かつお】 katsuo, bonito [kanji literally "firm fish"]
鰹釣 【かつおづり】 katsuozuri, fishing for bonito
鰹船 【かつおぶね】 katsuobune, bonito-fishing boat
飛魚 【とびうお】 tobiuo, (とびうを), flying fish (all summer).
【とびお】 tobio, flying fish
つばめ魚 【つばめうお】 tsubameuo, swallow-fish [after the bird, 燕【つばめ】 tsubame, swallow]
とびの魚 【とびのうお】 tobi no uo, flying fish
蟹 【かに】 kani, crab [note: these are all small crabs, generally not eaten] (all summer).
山蟹 【やまがに】 yamagani, mountain crab [a Potamon species]
川蟹 【かわがに】 kawagani, river crab
沢蟹 【さわがに】 (澤蟹) sawagani, swamp crab [Potamon dehaani]
浜蟹 【はまがに】 hamagani, shore crab
砂蟹 【すながに】 sunagani, sand crab [a salt-water crab, Ocypoda stimsoni; not a mole crab, which is 砂堀蟹【すなほりがに】 sunahorigani--the creature most commonly called "sand crab" on both coasts of the U.S. and not generally found in saijiki, though appropriate to summer]
弁慶蟹 【べんけいがに】 benkeigani, Benkei crab [a salt-water crab, named after the legendary hero]
磯蟹 【いそがに】 isogani, rock crab
舟虫(船虫) 【ふなむし】 funamushi, sea louse/lice [Megaligia exotica] (all summer).
海月 【くらげ】 kurage, jellyfish (all summer).
水母 【くらげ】 kurage, jellyfish
鰹の烏帽子 【かつおのえぼし】 katsuo no eboshi, bonito's headgear [figurative for portuguese man-o-war, refers to ancient court noble's headdress; Physalia physalis]
蛾 【が】 ga, moth (all summer).
火取虫 【ひとりむし】 hitorimushi, light-drawn insect [i.e., moth]
灯虫 【ひむし】 himushi, lamp insect [moth]。
火入虫 【ひいりむし】 hiirimushi, fire-entering insect [moth]
毛虫 【けむし】 kemushi, woolybear / hairy caterpillar [distinguish 尺取【しゃくとり shakutori, inchworm / looper, also an all-summer season word] (all summer).
蛍 【ほたる】 hotaru, firefly/fireflies (mid summer).
蛍火 【ほたるび】 hotarubi, firefly glow
源氏蛍 【げんじぼたる】 genjibotaru, Genji firefly [Luciola vitticollis; the name recalls 『源氏物語』Genji Monogatari and the Minamoto Clan]
平家蛍 【平家ほたる】 heikebotaru, Heike firefly [the name recalls 『平家物語』 Heike Monogatari] and the Taira Clan]
蛍合戦 【ほたるがっせん】 hotarugassen, firefly contest [the image of many fireflies flying together looking for mates]
兜虫 【かぶとむし】 kabutomushi, beetle [literally "helmet insect"; also written 甲虫 with same pronunciation, kanji literally "armored insect"; order Coleoptera] (all summer).
胄虫 【かぶとむし】 kabutomushi, beetle [also literally "helmet insect"]
さいかち虫(皀莢虫) 【さいかちむし】 saikachimushi, beetle [literally "grain-husk insect"; note that 皀莢の花【さいかちのはな】 saikachi no hana is the honey-locust blossom]
【さいかち】 saikachi, beetle
金亀虫 【こがねむし】 koganemushi, golden scarab beetle [family Scarabaeidae, including what is known in America as the "Japanese beetle" Popillia japonica, 豆金亀虫【まめこがねむし】 mamekoganemushi] (all summer).
黄金虫 【こがねむし】 koganemushi, golden scarab beetle
天道虫 【てんとうむし】 tentōmushi, (てんたうむし), ladybug / ladybird [literally "heaven's way insect"; family Coccinellidae] (all summer).
瓢虫 【てんとうむし】 tentōmushi, ladybug / ladybird [kanji literally "gourd insect"]
【てんとむし】 tentomushi, ladybug / ladybird
鼓虫 【まいまい】 maimai, (まひまひ), whirligig beetle(s) [family Gyrinidae] (all summer).
水澄 【みずすまし】 mizusumashi, whirligig beetle(s)
水馬 【あめんぼう】 amenbō, water strider(s) [family Gerridae], (all summer).
水馬 【みずすまし】 mizusumashi, water strider(s) [note that kanji are required to avoid confusion with previous kidai]
蝉 【せみ】 semi, cicada / locust (late summer).
初蝉 【はつぜみ】 hatsuzemi, first cicada
蝉時雨 【せみしぐれ】 semishigure, cicada shower / cicada chorus
油蝉 【あぶらぜみ】 aburazemi, oil cicada [Graptopsaltria nigrofuscata]
みんみん蝉 【みんみんぜみ】 minminzemi, robust cicada / min-min cicada [Oncotympana maculaticollis]
唖蝉 【おしぜみ】 oshizemi, voice-less cicada [that is, a female cicada]
にいにい蝉 【にいにいぜみ】 niiniizemi, nii-nii cicada [Platypleura kaempferri]
熊蝉 【くまぜみ】 kumazemi, bear cicada [Cryptotympana japonensis, a particularly broad-backed, black cicada]
蝿 【はえ】 hae, (はへ), fly [do not confuse with はえ hae, south wind] (all summer).
金蝿 【きんばえ】 kinbae, golden fly
銀蝿 【ぎんばえ】 ginbae, silver fly
蚊 【か】 ka, mosquito(es) (all summer).
蚊柱 【かばしら】 kabashira, column of mosquitoes / swarm of mosquitoes
藪蚊 【やぶか】 yabuka, striped mosquito [aedes mosquito; literally "country mosquito" or "thicket mosquito"]
蚊を打つ 【かをうつ】 ka o utsu, (to) swat a mosquito
蟻地獄 【ありじごく】 arijigoku, (ありぢごく), antlion / doodlebug [larvae of the 薄翅蜉蝣【うすばかげろう】 usubakagerō, literally "weak-winged/narrow-winged ephemera", a late-summer season word] (all summer).
【あとずさり】 atozusari, antlion / doodlebug
蚤 【のみ】 nomi, flea (all summer).
紙魚 【しみ】 shimi, clothes moth / bookworm [family Tineidae] (late summer).
衣魚 【しみ】 shimi, clothes moth / bookworm
雲母虫 【きららむし】 kiraramushi, mica insect [literal]
蟻 【あり】 ari, ant (all summer).
山蟻 【やまあり】 yama-ari, mountain ant
蟻塚 【ありづか】 arizuka, anthill
蟻の塔 【ありのとう】 ari no tō, ant tower
蟻の道 【ありのみち】 ari no michi, ant trail / ant column
蜘蛛 【くも】 kumo, spider (all summer).
蜘蛛の囲 【くものい】 kumo no i, spiderweb / cobweb(s) [sometimes written 蜘蛛の網【くものい】 kumo no i]
蜘蛛の巣 【くものす】 kumo no su, spiderweb / cobweb(s) [literally "spider's nest"]
蜘蛛の糸 【くものいと】 kumo no ito, spider silk [literally "spider's thread"]
蝸牛 【かたつむり】 katatsumuri, snail / land snail (all summer).
でで虫 【ででむし】 dedemushi, snail
でんでん虫 【でんでんむし】 dendenmushi, snail
蚯蚓 【みみず】 mimizu, earthworm (all summer).
蚯蚓出づ 【みみずいづ】 mimizu izu, earthworms come out
夜光虫 【やこうちゅう】 yakō-chū, (やくわうちゆう), noctiluca/noctilucae [a phosphorescent animalcule, Noctiluca scintillans] (all summer).
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