Non-distinguished animal pairs in Japanese


This is something I first noticed when I was at an aquarium in Japan (as
evidenced in my examples) and continued to see ever since. There are certain
pairs of animals, that while _extremely_ similar, have certain distinguishing
characteristics such that English speakers (well, most anyway) know them
apart; or at least that they are different animals even if they don't know
which is which.

**Disclaimer - I'm no animal expert, so I may mix up these pairs, but I'll try
to Google them to be sure.**

For example, `alligators` and `crocodiles`. English speakers know these are
different even if they're not sure what the differences are. Alligators have
broader, rounder snouts, while crocodiles have longer, pointier snouts. Also
something about the teeth. But in Japanese, they're both just `ワニ`. I asked my
Japanese friend, and he said the average Japanese person doesn't know this
difference or is even aware that they are considered different animals.

Here are several other pairs that seem to just get lumped together in the same
Japanese word (by the average person):

  * Turtle (flat wide shell) vs. Tortoise (large dome shell) → 亀【カメ】
  * Seals (have fur; concave ears) vs. Sea Lions (smooth body; protruding ears) → アシカ
  * Dolphin (have a "beak"; spiky teeth) vs. Porpoise (no beak; flat teeth) → イルカ

Even pairs that are blatantly different often get grouped:

  * Crab vs. Lobster → カニ (not sure if Japanese people use ロブスター or not)
  * Mouse vs. Rat → ネズミ
  * Monkey vs. Ape → 猿【サル】

There are many other examples, but these are the only ones I can think of
right now. I'm sure the `学名` are different, but like I said, it seems like the
average Japanese person doesn't make, or even know of a difference in these
pairs. Why is this?




First, I think speculating on what people actually know based on what options
the language provides is too speculative. For example, I don't know the
difference between a porpoise and a dolphin, even though the English language
provides the option to specify either one. So the issue of what Japanese
speakers _know_ should simply be put aside.

However, it is worthwhile to consider why it is that Japanese, as a language,
does not differentiate between certain animals.

Some examples you cite actually do common have common enough differentiations
that I don't think they are representative of what you are asking about.
[`ネズミ`](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%8D%E3%82%BA%E3%83%9F) means mice
and can be used for rats, but rats can be specified with
[`ドブネズミ`](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%89%E3%83%96%E3%83%8D%E3%82%BA%E3%83%9F).
Also, sea lions are
[`アシカ`](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%A2%E3%82%B7%E3%82%AB) and seals
are
[`アザラシ`](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%A2%E3%82%B6%E3%83%A9%E3%82%B7).

With the rest, you can notice a pattern. Japan has turtles, dolphins, and
crabs. It does not have tortoises, porpoises, and lobsters. It shouldn't be
that difficult to see how animals which were exposed to the culture relatively
recently, and are so similar to known animals, that for the average person,
they use a similar word.

However, note that although they are not common, and maybe mainly used in
scientific circles, there are words for all animals. So tortoise is
[`リクガメ`](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%AA%E3%82%AF%E3%82%AC%E3%83%A1%E7%A7%91),
porpoise is
[`ネズミイルカ`](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%8D%E3%82%BA%E3%83%9F%E3%82%A4%E3%83%AB%E3%82%AB),
and lobster is
[`ザリガニ`](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B6%E3%83%AA%E3%82%AC%E3%83%8B). I
have seen`ザリガニ` offered in restaurants, though in the long run it might lose
out to `ロブスター`. Wendy's in Japan, for example, offers a
[`ロブスターバーガー`](http://news.mynavi.jp/news/2012/11/16/059/index.html?gaibu=hon)
(as of 2012).

With apes... you get into some interesting territory there. In my experience
with English, "apes" usually refers to gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, and
maybe orangutans, but often does not include humans, unless the context is
specifically about evolution or something similar where precision matters.

Even putting aside objections some might have about whether or not humans
should be included when saying "apes", [the scientific term "apes" actually
includes two families of animal](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ape), one of
which includes things like [gibbons](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibbon),
which most English speakers almost certainly _don't_ have in mind when using
the term "ape".

So, the common English use of "ape" has some rather arbitrary lines drawn by
culture, just as arbitrary as where Japanese draw the lines for `猿{さる}`.
Looked at that way, that Japanese doesn't differentiate between ape and monkey
the way English does isn't a lack of specificity, but goes into other issues
far beyond the scope of this question and answer.

Bottom line, though, is that in Japanese if you want to start talking about
apes, you will have to be _more specific_ than English:
[`ゴリラ`](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B4%E3%83%AA%E3%83%A9%E5%B1%9E),
[`チンパンジー`](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%81%E3%83%B3%E3%83%91%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B8%E3%83%BC%E5%B1%9E),
[`ボノボ`](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%9C%E3%83%8E%E3%83%9C), and, of
course, `人間{にんげん}`.

Just for comparison, Japan does make some differentiation not found in other
languages as a result of the environment. For example, I believe it's because
they have hot springs that they have the words `湯{ゆ}` and `水{みず}` for hot
water and regular water.




First, I think speculating on what people actually know based on what options
the language provides is too speculative. For example, I don't know the
difference between a porpoise and a dolphin, even though the English language
provides the option to specify either one. So the issue of what Japanese
speakers _know_ should simply be put aside.

However, it is worthwhile to consider why it is that Japanese, as a language,
does not differentiate between certain animals.

Some examples you cite actually do common have common enough differentiations
that I don't think they are representative of what you are asking about.
[`ネズミ`](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%8D%E3%82%BA%E3%83%9F) means mice
and can be used for rats, but rats can be specified with
[`ドブネズミ`](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%89%E3%83%96%E3%83%8D%E3%82%BA%E3%83%9F).
Also, sea lions are
[`アシカ`](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%A2%E3%82%B7%E3%82%AB) and seals
are
[`アザラシ`](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%A2%E3%82%B6%E3%83%A9%E3%82%B7).

With the rest, you can notice a pattern. Japan has turtles, dolphins, and
crabs. It does not have tortoises, porpoises, and lobsters. It shouldn't be
that difficult to see how animals which were exposed to the culture relatively
recently, and are so similar to known animals, that for the average person,
they use a similar word.

However, note that although they are not common, and maybe mainly used in
scientific circles, there are words for all animals. So tortoise is
[`リクガメ`](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%AA%E3%82%AF%E3%82%AC%E3%83%A1%E7%A7%91),
porpoise is
[`ネズミイルカ`](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%8D%E3%82%BA%E3%83%9F%E3%82%A4%E3%83%AB%E3%82%AB),
and lobster is
[`ザリガニ`](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B6%E3%83%AA%E3%82%AC%E3%83%8B). I
have seen`ザリガニ` offered in restaurants, though in the long run it might lose
out to `ロブスター`. Wendy's in Japan, for example, offers a
[`ロブスターバーガー`](http://news.mynavi.jp/news/2012/11/16/059/index.html?gaibu=hon)
(as of 2012).

With apes... you get into some interesting territory there. In my experience
with English, "apes" usually refers to gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, and
maybe orangutans, but often does not include humans, unless the context is
specifically about evolution or something similar where precision matters.

Even putting aside objections some might have about whether or not humans
should be included when saying "apes", [the scientific term "apes" actually
includes two families of animal](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ape), one of
which includes things like [gibbons](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibbon),
which most English speakers almost certainly _don't_ have in mind when using
the term "ape".

So, the common English use of "ape" has some rather arbitrary lines drawn by
culture, just as arbitrary as where Japanese draw the lines for `猿{さる}`.
Looked at that way, that Japanese doesn't differentiate between ape and monkey
the way English does isn't a lack of specificity, but goes into other issues
far beyond the scope of this question and answer.

Bottom line, though, is that in Japanese if you want to start talking about
apes, you will have to be _more specific_ than English:
[`ゴリラ`](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B4%E3%83%AA%E3%83%A9%E5%B1%9E),
[`チンパンジー`](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%81%E3%83%B3%E3%83%91%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B8%E3%83%BC%E5%B1%9E),
[`ボノボ`](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%9C%E3%83%8E%E3%83%9C), and, of
course, `人間{にんげん}`.

Just for comparison, Japan does make some differentiation not found in other
languages as a result of the environment. For example, I believe it's because
they have hot springs that they have the words `湯{ゆ}` and `水{みず}` for hot
water and regular water.

