鯨鯢

Attested earliest in pre-Qin texts (e.g. figuratively in Zuo Zhuan, literally in Master Deng Xi, etc.).

鯨鯢

1. male and female whales

   • 獵羆虎者，不於外圂。釣鯨鯢者，不於清池。何則？圂非羆虎之窟也，池非鯨鯢之泉也。 [MSC, trad.]
     猎罴虎者，不于外圂。钓鲸鲵者，不于清池。何则？圂非罴虎之窟也，池非鲸鲵之泉也。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 《鄧析子》 (Deng Xi Zi, "Master Deng Xi"); translated based on Alfred Forke's version.

     Liè píhǔ zhě, bù yú wài hùn. Diào jīngní zhě, bù yú qīngchí. Hé zé? Hùn fēi píhǔ zhī kū yě, chí fēi jīngní zhī quán yě.

     One does not hunt brown bears or tigers in kennels or harpoon bull and cow whales in fresh-water ponds. Why? Because brown bears and tigers have not their dens in kennels, and ponds are not the waters where whale bulls and cows live.

2. (figurative) fierce enemy

   • 古者明王伐不敬，取其鯨鯢而封之，以為大戮，於是乎有京觀以懲淫慝。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     古者明王伐不敬，取其鲸鲵而封之，以为大戮，于是乎有京观以惩淫慝。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE, translation from Zuozhuan: Commentary on the "Spring and Autumn Annals" (2017), by Stephen Durrant, Wai-yee Li and David Schaberg

     Gǔzhě míngwáng fá bùjìng, qǔ qí jīngní ér fēng zhī, yǐwéi dà lù, yúshì hū yǒu jīng guān yǐ chéng yíntè.

     In ancient times, when enlightened kings attacked the disrespectful, they took the greatest culprits among them and had them killed and sealed off in a mound as the most extreme punishment. Thus it was that the grand mound was built to warn against excesses and iniquities.

3. (figurative) pirate
4. (figurative) innocent person who is killed

From Middle Chinese.

• (Tokyo) げーげー (Heiban – )^[1]
• (Tokyo) けーげー (Heiban – )^[2]
• IPA^(key):
• IPA^(key):

^[2] (less common)

鯨(げい)鯢(げい) • (geigei)  (alternative reading hiragana けいげい, rōmaji keigei)

1. male and female whales
2. whales in general
3. a fierce fish
4. (figurative) a major villain, a leader of criminals (compare English shark)

• 鯨鯢(げいげい)の顎(あぎと)にかく (geigei no agito ni kaku): “to be caught by the jaws of a whale” → to meet with a major misfortune or dangerous situation, particularly at sea

鯨鯢 • (gyeong'ye) (hangeul 경예)

1. hanja form^? of 경예 (“male and female whales”)