About
The character 蚩, which is identical in both traditional and simplified systems, is structurally composed of the grass radical 艹 placed above the component 虫 meaning insect. Its earliest known meaning was "worm" or "larva", likely derived from this pictorial logic. This concrete meaning later extended metaphorically to denote qualities of ignorance, stupidity, or being uncivilized, as seen in classical texts. The character is also historically significant as the first element in the name 蚩尤, a mythological tribal leader from ancient Chinese legends, where its meaning is not pejorative but serves as a proper name.
Etymology Hide
