Monsters

[Haruspex]

Yet again a weird question, I was wondering what counter should I use for monsters and other supernatural beings.

Thanks for the answer

 

[Elizabeth]

Yet again a weird question, I was wondering what counter should I use for monsters and other supernatural beings.
Thanks for the answer

For monsters （怪物） what I have seen is 匹。 Ghosts, gremlins, faeries, goblins, witches, nymph; elves, snow women etc...I have no earthly idea.

 

[Haruspex]

Thank You very much according to rikaichan 匹 - き is a counter for rolls and small animals while 匹 - ひき is for horses or rolls of cloth. It turns out that monsters are either rolls, horses, cloths or small animals... Should stick to the latter I think.
Thank You once more.

 

[Charles Barkley]

Did you mean to write the same kanji twice up there?

The counter for horses is 頭 (とう）。 That works for big animals.

匹 will be read ひき if indeed it is the counter for monsters (which I am not disputing, merely saying I have no idea, as usually I am too busy running away from them to bother counting...)

 

[Haruspex]

I don't question that 頭 is used as a counter for horses, but according to this rikaichan addon 匹 is used as well.

 

[undrentide]

I don't question that 頭 is used as a counter for horses, but according to this rikaichan addon 匹 is used as well.

The most common usage for 匹 is for animals, especially smaller ones.
Dictionaries do say 匹 is used as cloth (two rolls/二反 nitan makes 一匹） but it is not common now, at least not used/heard in today's daily conversation.
Dictionaries also say 匹 is used for horses, but today 頭 is most commonly used to count horses. It seems that in old days (centuries ago) 匹 used to be used to count ox/horse and later for small animals as well, but today big animals such as horses, elephants, whales are usually counted with 頭.