About
The character "蛤" is a phono-semantic compound comprising the semantic radical 虫, which signifies creatures, and the phonetic component 合, historically guiding its pronunciation. Originally denoting shellfish like clams, as evidenced in the compound "蛤蜊", its meaning later extended to include amphibians such as frogs and toads, particularly in the term "蛤蟆". This semantic shift from aquatic mollusks to terrestrial amphibians occurred while the character's structural integrity remained unchanged, with the phonetic element 合 continuing to influence its readings, resulting in variant pronunciations like gé and há based on specific lexical context.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
海滩上有蛤蜊。
蛤蟆喜欢下雨天。
妈妈煮了蛤蜊汤。
弟弟害怕绿色的蛤蟆。
我们在市场买了新鲜蛤蜊。
蛤蟆的叫声在夜晚很响亮。
厨师用蛤蜊做了美味的意大利面。
研究显示蛤蜊对海洋生态系统很重要。