Definitions

měng toad
mǐn to strive

Etymology

Simplified form of . Pictograph of a toad.

About

The simplified character 黾 derives from the traditional form 黽, a pictograph depicting a frog or toad with a prominent head and legs. As a radical, it appears in characters related to amphibians. In modern usage, its meaning diverges based on pronunciation: pronounced měng, it refers to certain frogs or toads; pronounced mǐn, it means to strive or work diligently, as in the compound 黾勉 (mǐnmiǎn), meaning to urge oneself to effort.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Mid Warring States (~300 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern