キリギリス

き

り

ぎ

り

す

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

noun

Japanese katydid (Gampsocleis buergeri)

usually written using kana alone

Specifically refers to the species Gampsocleis buergeri, a common katydid in Japan known for its loud call.

夏なつの夜よる、キリギリスが草くさむらで鳴ないている。
On summer nights, Japanese katydids are chirping in the grass.

2

noun

katydid; bush-cricket; long-horned grasshopper

General term for any member of the family Tettigoniidae; in everyday use, often refers to the common Japanese species.

キリギリスはバッタに似にているが、触しょっ角かくが長ながい。
Katydids resemble grasshoppers but have long antennae.

3

noun

cricket

archaic

Archaic usage; in older texts, きりぎりす could refer to crickets, but modern Japanese uses コオロギ for crickets.

古こ典てんでは「きりぎりす」が今いまでいうコオロギを指さすことがある。
In classical literature, 'kirigirisu' sometimes refers to what we now call a cricket.

Written forms

キリギリスUsage63%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is standard for this insect name; usually written in kana.
きりぎりすUsage37%
Hiragana spelling is also seen, but katakana is more common for animal names.
螽斯きりぎりす
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; not normally used in modern writing.
螽蟖きりぎりす
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; not normally used in modern writing.
蟋蟀きりぎりす
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; not normally used in modern writing.

Kanji

螽grasshopper
斯this, thus, such
蟖moth larva, grasshopper
蟋

Similar words

コオロギ
Refers to crickets (Gryllidae), which are generally smaller and have shorter antennae than katydids. In modern Japanese, キリギリス is not used for crickets.
バッタ
Grasshoppers (Caelifera) with short antennae; katydids are often distinguished by their long antennae and different body shape.

Etymology

The word is native Japanese, with the reading きりぎりす. The kanji forms 螽斯, 螽蟖, and 蟋蟀 are Chinese-derived and rarely used. The exact origin of the Japanese word is uncertain.

cricket, grasshopper

蟀cricket, grasshopper