Definitions
variant of 蝦|虾[xiā]
Etymology
About
The character "鰕" is a traditional form structured as a phono-semantic compound with the semantic component "魚" indicating its association with aquatic life and the phonetic component "叚" approximating its pronunciation, historically used to denote various small crustaceans before its meaning narrowed specifically to shrimp. In its simplified counterpart "虾", the semantic element is replaced by "虫" and the phonetic by "下", reflecting a shift in conceptual classification that aligns shrimp more closely with insects than fish.
Etymology Hide
