蚁 (yǐ) — ant (bound form, used in compound words)
Definition
蚁 is the bound root meaning 'ant', almost always paired with 蚂 to form the common word 蚂蚁. On its own it appears in set terms like 蚁后 (queen ant) and 蚁穴 (anthill).
bound form
ant (bound form, used in compound words)
Examples
- 。Mǎ yǐ shì yì zhǒng shè huì xìng kūn chóng.Ants are a type of social insect.
- 。yǐ Xué tōng cháng jiàn zài dì xià.Ant nests are usually built underground.
- 。yǐ Hòu shì qún tǐ zhōng tǐ xíng zuì dà de.The queen ant is the largest in the colony.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 蟻; 蚁 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
義
義yì蟻yǐ
Same sound today
The traditional form 蟻 pairs 虫 (insect) with 義 as a sound part; the simplified 蚁 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.
Appears in
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