河豚

河豚

1. blowfish; puffer
2. river dolphin

• (blowfish):
  • (Cantonese) 雞泡魚／鸡泡鱼
  • (Jin) 剝皮魚／剥皮鱼
  • (Hokkien) 乖仔魚／乖仔鱼

• (Min Nan) 刺䲅／刺𫚜

In light of the older pronunciation fuku,^[1] most likely derived from the verb 吹く (fuku, “to blow”), perhaps from the way the fish blow sand to find food. Alternatively, related to the verb 膨れる (fukureru, “to swell up, to expand”). Compare also 복 (bok, “blowfish, pufferfish”).

• (Tokyo) ふぐ [fúꜜgù] (Atamadaka – [1])^[2][3][4]
• IPA^(key): [ɸɯ̟ɡɯ̟]

河豚(ふぐ) or 河豚(フグ) • (fugu) 

1. a blowfish
2. (slang) a fat and unattractive woman
3. (slang) someone who is quick to anger and who puffs up
4. (slang) a gun (from the way that getting hit may kill)

• The kanji spelling is uncommonly used. Usually spelled in kana.
• As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana, especially in biological contexts (where katakana is customary), as フグ (fugu).

• (Kansai) 鉄砲(てっぽう) (teppō)

• English: fugu

From Middle Chinese 河豚 (MC ha dwon, literally “river + pig”). Compare modern Mandarin reading hétún.

• (Tokyo) かとん [kàtóń] (Heiban – [0])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [ka̠tõ̞ɴ]

河(か)豚(とん) or 河豚(カトン) • (katon) 

1. blowfish

This reading is less common than fugu above.