匹
counter for small animals; pair; one in a pair
Kanji 1736
Thank you for visiting this Character Home Page. Below you'll find a synopsis of the essay. If you wish to read the full text, the PDF of the essay is available for purchase to the right.
See why a horse’s rear appears on the front of this essay, particularly when a horse isn’t small. Find out how lone wolves differ from shut-ins, and see why one Japanese author critiqued Japan as a “lone wolf country.” Learn to say “Her English is as good as the teacher’s” and “He keeps some mice for research purposes.” Discover what it takes to be a manly man in Japan!
Revision history:
Oct. 29, 2022: p. 5: Changed the definition of 飼う to “(1) to have (an animal); (2) feed (an animal)” and revised the first paragraph under the sidebar.
Feb. 16, 2022:
- p. 1: Attributed the statements about etymology to Kanjigen.
- p. 2, Etymology Box: Updated the Henshall etymology and Sears link.
- p. 4: Modified two passages about etymology to match Henshall’s new interpretations.
- p. 13: Added a link to the Kanshudo games.
Feb. 2, 2018: Originally published.
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