About
The character 蟮 is structured with the semantic component 虫, indicating its categorization as a worm or insect-like creature, and the phonetic component 善, which guides its pronunciation. Etymologically, it initially served as a general term for soft-bodied, elongated animals, but over centuries its meaning narrowed to specific referents, most notably seen in compounds like 蚯蟮 for earthworm and 黄蟮 for yellow eel. The character's form, consistently composed of 虫 and 善, has remained stable in its written representation.