The meaning of “Pikachu”
01/20/2008 @ 6:00 pm
The Internet truly is a wealth of knowledge, both useful and otherwise.
Today while surfing around, I found out the meaning of Pikachu’s name. . .
Apparently it comes from the Japanese, pikapika, which means to glitter or sparkle, and chuchu, which is the sound a mouse supposedly makes in Japan. Put it together and you get Pikachu, meaning “sparkly mouse”, or more appropriately “electric mouse” because of the lightning bolt stuck up his bum.
I feel so much smarter now!
Or perhaps it originated with the Pika, a small rabbit-like creature that is native to Hokkaido.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pika
January 21st, 2008 at 6:39 amThe way the name is written and pronounced in Japanese, the pikapika+chuchu explanation is more likely.
January 21st, 2008 at 7:41 amThat’s a very fine theory. Unfortunately, two simple facts get in the way.
1. The Pika is known for it’s shrill chirp, it is often represented in onomatopoeia as “pika pika.”
2. The author of pokemons said he was inspired by the Pika.
January 21st, 2008 at 12:10 pmWell, that’s a very fine claim. How about a link to where author describes his inspiration?
January 21st, 2008 at 1:06 pm[...] We quite like that Sparkle Mouse Noise moniker. Pikachu’s Meaning [LongCountdown via Japundit] [Geek on [...]
January 22nd, 2008 at 4:51 am[...] We quite like that Sparkle Mouse Noise moniker. Pikachu’s Meaning [LongCountdown via Japundit] [Geek on [...]
May 2nd, 2008 at 2:50 pm