Definitions
(arch.) firefly
Etymology
About
The character 蚈 is a phono-semantic compound with the insect radical 虫 on the left, which places it in the category of insects, worms, reptiles, and creeping creatures, and the phonetic 幵 (qiān) on the right. It is found in ancient texts like the Lüshi Chunqiu, a classical encyclopedia of natural philosophy, where it denoted multi-legged arthropods or glowing insects, specifically a kind of millipede or firefly. Due to this specialized zoological use, it never acquired expanded semantic roles in common vocabulary.
Report an issue
Flag incorrect definitions, examples, etymology, etc.