Definitions
malaria
used in 瘧子|疟子[yào zi]
Etymology phono-semantic
sickness
Semantic:
疒
About
The character for malaria, 疟, originates from its traditional form 瘧, which is composed of the sickness radical 疒 and the phonetic and semantic component 虐, meaning "cruel" or "tyrannical". This structure conceptually frames the disease as a cruel or violent sickness, accurately capturing the characteristic alternating chills and fever of the illness. The character's core meaning, referring to intermittent or malarial fevers, has remained consistent throughout its use. The simplified form 疟 retains the sickness radical but replaces the original complex phonetic component with 㞋, a simplified form of 虐, thereby streamlining the character while preserving its essential association with disease.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
疟疾是一种传染病。
蚊子可以传播疟疾。
他曾在非洲感染过疟疾。
这种药物能有效治疗疟疾。
预防疟疾的主要方法是防蚊。
科学家们正在研发新的抗疟疫苗。
疟原虫对某些药物产生了耐药性。
全球基金为消除疟疾投入了大量资金。