Definitions

zhōng (grasshopper); Gompsocleis mikado

Etymology phono-semantic

insect

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character is a phono-semantic compound, with on top as the phonetic and the doubled insect radical underneath as the semantic component, placing it among bugs and creeping creatures. It was coined to name orthopteran insects, grasshoppers, katydids, and long-horned locusts, that are typically active in late summer and autumn. The doubled insect visually reinforces the idea of swarming and abundance. In classical literature, frequently appears as a symbol of numerous offspring or agricultural pests, and it has no extended abstract meanings.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern