About
The character "蛉" is a phono-semantic compound consisting of the insect radical "虫" indicating its semantic category and the phonetic component "令" which suggests its pronunciation. It historically appears in the term "螟蛉" referring to the larva of a moth, and from classical texts such as the "Book of Songs" this term gained a metaphorical meaning for an adopted child based on an ancient misconception about wasp behavior. Over centuries, the character's application broadened to denote other insects like sandflies in "白蛉", while its metaphorical usage persisted primarily in literary contexts, with its core meaning remaining associated with entomology.
Etymology Hide
