About
蚖 (yuán) is a phono-semantic compound character, formed by the semantic radical 虫 ('insect/reptile') on the left and the phonetic 完 (wán) on the right. The 虫 radical places it among cold-blooded crawling creatures such as insects and reptiles, and 完 provides its pronunciation. Its meanings include a type of lizard, a newt, or a venomous snake, varying with classical usage. Although 完 means 'complete', it functions here purely as a phonetic marker. The character is zoological and appears in historical texts on local wildlife and traditional medicines.
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