About
The character "蠹" is structurally composed of the bamboo radical "𥫗" at the top, the component "石" in the middle, and the insect radical "蟲" at the bottom, a configuration that originally denoted insects that bore into and damage wooden or bamboo objects. Its etymology relates to such pests infesting stored items like books or grain in bamboo containers, which extended its meaning to include bookworms and later metaphorical uses for corrupt individuals who erode organizations from within. Over time, the character's semantic range evolved from specifically referring to physical insects to encompassing abstract concepts of decay and parasitic behavior in social contexts.
Etymology Hide
