About
The character for "ant" has existed for millennia, with its traditional form "蟻" being composed of the insect radical "虫" combined with the component "義", which primarily served a phonetic function while perhaps secondarily evoking the idea of the insect's organized, "righteous" social order. Over time, the semantic focus of the character narrowed specifically to denote ants, moving away from any broader archaic classifications. The modern simplified form "蚁" emerged from a structural substitution, replacing the complex "義" with the simpler, phonetically similar component "义", thereby streamlining the character while maintaining its core association with the insect through the enduring "虫" radical.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
地上有很多蚂蚁。
蚂蚁在搬运食物。
花园里聚集了一群蚂蚁。
小小的蚂蚁力量很大。
白蚁会破坏木头家具。
人群像蚂蚁一样拥挤。
由于下雨，蚂蚁都躲进了洞里。
科学家研究了蚂蚁的社会结构。