55039
Me and my fellow coworker have been discussing the article on [Japanese
counter words](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_counter_word) and this
particular case has caught our attention:

> [Pronunciation]はい hai, ぱい pai, ばい bai; [Spelling]杯, [Use] Cups and glasses
> of drink, spoonsful; cuttlefish, octopuses, crabs, squid, abalone, boats
> (slang)

My question would be - why such different objects like cups and octopuses
logically belong to the same category, what's the etymology behind this
particular counter word?
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2017-12-08T10:01:19.293
55033
2017-12-08T16:09:58.863
2017-12-08T13:43:44.360
26873
26873
question
counters numbers
Why the same counter word is used for cups and octopuses?
We normally count them, when they are living, 一匹｛いっぴき}. When they are fished
and have become products, they are called 一杯｛いっぱい｝. Next article explains:

According to ジャパン・ナリッジ:
なぜイカやカニは「1杯(ぱい)」と数える？<http://japanknowledge.com/articles/kze/column_kaz_01.html>

One theory explains octopuses and squids classified as shellfish of Mollusca,
so they are counted as 一貝{いっぱい｝. But they also say another theory is more
prominent. That is the body of squids and octopuses looks like an urn, pot or
pint glass. That's why we count non-living selling squids for 一杯{いっぱい}. The
shell of Abalones and Crabs look like the round shape of the container such as
urn, pot, too. For me, calling beer pint glass 一杯｛いっぱい}, 二杯｛にはい｝ for drinking,
it's imaginable to count octopuses, squids, the shellfishes as 杯{はい｝since they
look like the shape of beer pint glass.

This article <https://macaro-ni.jp/34892> also explains:

We count, when squids become するめ 一枚｛いちまい｝or sashimi on the plate 一盛｛ひともり｝ or
sushi 一貫｛いっかん｝ or fishing two squids 一荷｛いっか｝at same time or, bundle up 10
quids 一連｛いちれん｝. For me, these counting is more familiar to me. Probably I
don't see the following things so often:

[![イカ飯｛めし｝](https://i.stack.imgur.com/gYzXR.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/gYzXR.jpg)

[![イカ徳利｛とっくり｝](https://i.stack.imgur.com/zg0Z8.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/zg0Z8.jpg)
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2017-12-08T16:09:58.863
55039
2017-12-08T16:09:58.863
55033
answer