真桑瓜

Japanese

Kanji in this term
真	桑	瓜
ま Grade: 3	くわ Grade: S	うり Jinmeiyō
kun'yomi

Alternative spellings
眞桑瓜 (kyūjitai) 甜瓜

Etymology

A compound formed of 真桑 (Makuwa), a former village that is now part of Motosu, Gifu Prefecture, and 瓜 (uri), meaning gourd or melon.

The village of Makuwa is said to have been famous for producing exceptional quality oriental melons, to which it passed its name.

Noun

真(ま)桑(くわ)瓜(うり) or 真桑瓜(マクワウリ) • (makuwauri) 

1. Oriental melon (Cucumis melo var. makuwa)

Usage notes

As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana, especially in biological contexts (where katakana is customary), as マクワウリ.

References

• “まくわうり.” Kōjien. 6th ed. 2008. Print.