河童

Orthographic borrowing from Japanese 河童(かっぱ) (kappa).

河童

1. (Japanese mythology) kappa (mythical creature) (Classifier: 個／个 m; 隻／只 m)
   • 2023, “我的世界地圖”, 黃偉文 [Wyman Wong] (lyrics), 王菀之 [Ivana Wong] (music)‎^[1]performed by 魏浚笙 [Jeffrey Ngai]:

     河童在哪樹下避雷電 [Literary Cantonese, trad.]
     河童在哪树下避雷电 [Literary Cantonese, simp.]

     ho⁴ tung⁴ zoi⁶ naa⁵ syu⁶ haa⁶ bei⁶ leoi⁴ din⁶ [Jyutping]

     Under which tree is the kappa taking shelter from thunder and lightning?

/kapawarapa/ → /kawawappa/ → /kawappa/ → /kappa/

Originally a compound of 川 (kapa → kawa, “river”) +‎ 童 (warapa → wappa, “child”).^[1][2][3][4]

• (Tokyo) かっぱ [kàppá] (Heiban – [0])^[3][4][5]
• IPA^(key): [ka̠p̚pa̠]

• Audio:

  (file)

河(か)童(っぱ) • (kappa) 

1. (Japanese mythology, folklore) a river-dwelling imp or monster from Japanese folklore
   • 1999 September 23, “ひょうすべ [Hyōsube]”, in Vol.5, Konami:

     カッパの親(おや)分(ぶん)。攻(こう)撃(げき)力(りょく)は意(い)外(がい)と高(たか)い。守(しゅ)備(び)力(りょく)は低(ひく)め。

     Kappa no oyabun. Kōgekiryoku wa igai to takai. Shubiryoku wa hikume.

     A kappa boss with low defense strength, but surprisingly high attack strength.

   • 2000 July 13, “サイコ・カッパー [Psycho Kappar]”, in Pharaoh’s Servant －ファラオのしもべ－, Konami:

     いろいろな超(ちょう)能(のう)力(りょく)を使(つか)い、攻(こう)撃(げき)のダメージを防(ふせ)ぐカッパ。

     Iroiro na chōnōryoku o tsukai, kōgeki no damēji o fusegu kappa.

     This kappa evades attack damage with his ESP.

2. synonym of 胡瓜 (kyūri, “cucumber”)
3. short for 河童巻き (kappa maki, “rolled sushi with cucumber inside”)
4. (dated) a prostitute working from a boat that picks up customers from the banks of a river

   See also: Thesaurus:娼婦

5. (historical) a children's hairstyle in the Edo period, similar to the bowl cut

   Synonym: 御河童 (o-kappa)

6. (dated, slang) a strong swimmer
7. alternative spelling of 合羽 (“raincoat”)

• 河童巻(かっぱま)き (kappamaki)
• お河童(かっぱ) (okappa)