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15.08.2010 at 12:00 am
Cuttings

海老

Old People of the Sea

... 和語の「えび」は、元々は葡萄のこと、あるいはその色のことを指す言葉であった。葡萄の色に似ていることから蝦・海老のことを「えび」と呼ぶようになった。現在でも「葡萄色」と書いて「えびいろ」とも読む。「海老」の字は、長い触角(ひげ)と曲がった腰を老人に見立てたものである。

Translation (Mine)

The Japanese word, ebi, originally referred to grapes (and their colour). Shrimps came to be called ebi because of how they resembled the colour of grapes. Even now, dark, grape-like purplish-red colours are still read as "the colour of grapes (ebi)".

As for the use of the kanji characters 海 ('sea') and 老 ('old people'): shrimps are likened to old people because of their long beards (feelers) and curved backs.

Of prawns and their likeness to grapes and the elderly.

Source: ウィキペディア
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Words: 16 words approx.
Time to read: 0.06 mins (at 250 wpm)
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