[Slings and Arrows]

I thought that “Maru” meant “ship.”

[Celtic Conservative]

Technically it means “round”. But just like in english “round” has a connotation for “chubby” or “jolly” in Japanese. “maru” is a traditional name tacked onto ships, usually commercial vessels like freighters and fishing boats. Perhaps to the Japanese, these ships look “chubby” or round.