About
The character "孓" originates from a pictographic representation of a person missing an arm, conveying a sense of incompleteness or remnant. Structurally, it is a variant of the component "子", distinguished by a hooked stroke that modifies its form. While historically associated with meanings such as "short" or "leftover", its usage narrowed over time to the point where it now appears almost exclusively in the compound "孑孓", denoting mosquito larvae, and is rarely employed independently.
Etymology Hide
