About
The character 蛇, meaning snake, originated from the earlier form 它, which itself was a pictographic representation of a serpent. As linguistic usage progressed, 它 gradually assumed the function of a third-person pronoun, creating a need to distinguish the reptilian meaning. To resolve this, the semantic component 虫, indicating creatures or insects, was affixed to 它, forming a compound character that explicitly denoted the animal. This structural modification solidified 蛇's association with snakes, while 它 completely shed its original zoological sense to serve solely as a pronoun. Thus, the character's evolution demonstrates a deliberate morphological adjustment to prevent semantic ambiguity, with 蛇 consistently retaining its core meaning through this etymological clarification.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这是一条小蛇。
我看到了一条蛇。
蛇在草地上爬行。
蛇是一种爬行动物。
蛇的皮肤非常光滑。
小心，那条蛇可能有毒。
在动物园里，我们看到了许多蛇。
研究人员正在研究蛇的毒液。