虫

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

See images of
Radical 142 虫

虫 (Kangxi radical 142, 虫+0, 6 strokes, cangjie input 中一戈 (LMI), four-corner 5013₆, composition ⿱中⿰㇀丶)

1. Kangxi radical #142, ⾍.

Derived characters

• Appendix:Chinese radical/虫
• 𭂌, 𠙍, 𫩮, 𡘗, 独, 𢘷, 𢫼, 浊, 𨹁, 𨒷, 𣆣, 𣑺, 𣭦, 烛, 𤙕, 𦚭, 𭺟, 䂈, 𪿛, 𧙽, 𬗌, 触, 𧳃, 赨, 𫏪, 鉵, 𮨩, 𮩿, 䶚
• 𠛿, 㰩, 䳋, 𭜫, 茧, 𤼭, 萤, 𬝋, 𦳶, 𫢀, 𦸞, 𩭃, 𠣜, 𭕛, 痋, 閩(闽), 繭, 虄

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 1076, character 19
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 32804
• Dae Jaweon: page 1545, character 7
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2833, character 1
• Unihan data for U+866B

Chinese

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 虫
Shang	Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script

Pictogram (象形) : a snake.

The character originally represented a type of venomous snake, while the derivative 蟲／虫 represented worms and insects (or insect-like things). 虫 was later borrowed for 蟲／虫 (possibly via simplification), and the character 虺 was created to represent the original meaning.

Etymology 1

Etymology 2

Japanese

Kanji

(grade 1 “Kyōiku” kanji, shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai form 蟲)

1. insect, bug
2. generic name for animals

Readings

As shinjitai form of 蟲:

• Go-on: じゅう (jū)^{←ぢゆう (dyuu, historical)}
• Kan-on: ちゅう (chū, Jōyō)^{←ちゆう (tyuu, historical)}
• Kun: むし (mushi, 虫, Jōyō)

As the ancient form of 虺:

• Go-on: け (ke)^{←け (ke, historical)←くゑ (kwe, ancient)}
• Kan-on: き (ki)^{←き (ki, historical)←くゐ (kwi, ancient)}
• Kun: まむし (mamushi, 虫)

Compounds

Etymology

Japanese Wikipedia has an article on:

虫

Wikipedia ^ja

/musi/ → /muɕi/

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *mosi.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) むし (Heiban – )
• IPA^(key):

Noun

虫(むし) or 虫(ムシ) • (mushi) 

1. a bug, insect, worm

   Synonym: 昆虫 (konchū)

2. a serpent, snake

   Synonym: 蛇 (hebi)

   獅(し)子(し)身(しん)中(ちゅう)の虫(むし)

   shishi shinchū no mushi

   a serpent in a lion

3. (figurative) a worm (person living for only one thing)

   本(ほん)の虫(むし)

   hon no mushi

   a bookworm

4. (derogatory) a worm (despicable person)

   泣(な)き虫(むし)

   nakimushi

   a sobbing worm; a blubberer

5. a temperament (thought which is in the deep in mind) (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?)

   癇(かん)の虫(むし)

   kan no mushi

   a choleric temperament

6. (archaic) a male lover

   Synonyms: 愛人 (aijin), 情夫 (jōfu), 隠し男 (kakushi-otoko)

Derived terms

References

Korean

Etymology 1

From Middle Chinese 蟲 (MC drjuwng).

Hanja

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

虫

Wikisource

虫 (eumhun 벌레 충 (beolle chung))

1. Alternative form of 蟲 (“Hanja form^? of 충 (“insect; bug”).”)

Etymology 2

From Middle Chinese 虫 (MC xjw+jX).

Hanja

虫 (eumhun 벌레 훼 (beolle hwe))

1. Alternative form of 虺 (“Hanja form^? of 훼 (“type of poisonous snake”).”)

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

Vietnamese

Han character

虫: Hán Việt readings: trùng (持(trì)中(trung)切(thiết))
虫: Nôm readings: tròng, trùng, chòng, chùng

1. chữ Hán form of trùng (“Kangxi radical 142”).

References