Definitions
Tanka people
Etymology
About
The character 蜑 combines the semantic radical 虫 at the bottom, relating to insects or crawling creatures, with the upper phonetic component 廷, which indicates pronunciation. Historically, it primarily served as a proper noun for the Tanka people, a southern Chinese group traditionally living on boats and fishing. It also occasionally functions as a variant of 蛋, meaning egg or ovum. The insect radical may reflect ancient taxonomic classifications of southern populations or the association of eggs with insects, reptiles, and birds in classical character formation.
Etymology Hide
