About
螋 (sōu) is a phono-semantic character: the insect radical 虫 (chóng) on the left places it among bugs, worms, or arachnids, while the right component 叟 (sǒu, meaning 'old man') functions purely as a phonetic indicator for the pronunciation. The character appears almost exclusively in the binomial compound 蠼螋 (qúsōu), the standard zoological term for an earwig. It has never developed extended or metaphorical meanings, remaining confined to this narrow entomological label for the moisture-loving insect with pincers on its abdomen.
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