About
The character 螋 (sōu) is a phono-semantic compound used to classify a specific crawling insect. The left side features the insect radical 虫 (chóng), indicating its semantic connection to bugs or worms, while the right component 叟 (sǒu), meaning an old man, provides the phonetic element for pronunciation. Historically, 螋 has been used almost exclusively in the binomial word qúsōu (蠼螋), the standard zoological term for an earwig. It has not developed any abstract or metaphorical meanings, remaining strictly within entomological classification for this moisture-loving insect distinguished by its abdominal pincers.