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Straightforward question. The Pacific Ocean is `太平洋【たい・へい・よう】` and the
Atlantic Ocean is `大西洋【たい・せい・よう】`. What was the reasoning in using a different
character for the `たい` in each? And why `太` for Pacific and `大` for Atlantic?
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2013-10-21T15:07:36.053
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2019-10-31T20:09:22.113
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question
words etymology homophonic-kanji
Oceans ー Thick or Big?
As the characters clearly suggest, 大西洋 simply refers to the big Western ocean.
Not much confusion there.

太平洋, however, is an adaptation of the English "Pacific" Ocean. 太平 is a word in
its own right that means roughly this: "peaceful" or "tranquil," or "pacific,"
if you will. According to the page linked at the bottom it had previously been
known as 大東海.

It seems like 太 may be a simplified form of 泰, although apparently this isn't
listed in all character dictionaries (note that
[here](http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q1316862793) a
person claims to have found it). The word 泰平 exists and is the same word as
太平, and based purely on shape it makes sense that one would be a 略字. So if
this theory is to be believed then the 太 in 太平洋 does _not_ mean thick/fat, but
rather peace as in 泰平, because 泰 simplifies to 太, and is not to be confused
with Thailand.

Lengthy discussion about it can be found here!
<http://homepage2.nifty.com/osiete/s539.htm>
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2013-10-21T15:13:40.427
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answer