蟻
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See also: 蚁
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Translingual
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Han character
蟻 (Kangxi radical 142, 虫+13, 19 strokes, cangjie input 中戈廿土戈 (LITGI), four-corner 58153, composition ⿰虫義)
References
- Kangxi Dictionary: page 1099, character 3
- Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 33672
- Dae Jaweon: page 1563, character 8
- Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2898, character 11
- Unihan data for U+87FB
Chinese
| trad. | 蟻 | |
|---|---|---|
| simp. | 蚁 | |
| alternative forms | 螘／𰲹 蛾 | |
Glyph origin
Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ŋralʔ) : semantic 虫 (“insect”) + phonetic 義 (OC *ŋrals).
Etymology
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *k/p/s-rwak.
Pronunciation
- Mandarin
- (Standard)
- (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): yi2
- Cantonese
- Hakka
- Jin (Wiktionary): i2
- Northern Min (KCR): ngṳè
- Eastern Min (BUC): ngiê
- Southern Min
- Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): 6gni
- Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): nyi5 / nyi4
- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Hanyu Pinyin:
- Zhuyin: ㄧˇ
- Tongyong Pinyin: yǐ
- Wade–Giles: i3
- Yale: yǐ
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yii
- Palladius: и (i)
- Sinological IPA (key): /i²¹⁴/
- (Chengdu)
- Sichuanese Pinyin: yi2
- Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: i
- Sinological IPA (key): /i²¹/
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
- Jyutping: ngai5
- Yale: ngáih
- Cantonese Pinyin: ngai5
- Guangdong Romanization: ngei5
- Sinological IPA (key): /ŋɐi̯¹³/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
- Wiktionary: ngai2
- Sinological IPA (key): /ᵑɡai⁵⁵/
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
- Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
- Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ngie
- Hakka Romanization System: ngie
- Hagfa Pinyim: ngie4
- Sinological IPA: /ŋi̯e⁵⁵/
- (Meixian)
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
Note:
- Meixian:
- ni1 - vernacular;
- ngi4 - literary.
- Jin
- (Taiyuan)+
- Wiktionary: i2
- Sinological IPA (old-style): /i⁵³/
- (Taiyuan)+
- Northern Min
- (Jian'ou)
- Kienning Colloquial Romanized: ngṳè
- Sinological IPA (key): /ŋyɛ⁴²/
- (Jian'ou)
- Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
- Bàng-uâ-cê: ngiê
- Sinological IPA (key): /ŋiɛ²⁴²/
- (Fuzhou)
- Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Yongchun, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Sanxia, Yilan, Kinmen, Magong, Hsinchu, Taichung)
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Lukang, Philippines)
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hiǎ
- Tâi-lô: hiǎ
- IPA (Quanzhou): /hia²²/
- IPA (Lukang, Philippines): /hia³³/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
Note:
- hiā/hiǎ - vernacular;
- gí - literary.
- Middle Chinese: ngjeX
- Old Chinese
- (Baxter–Sagart): /*m-qʰ(r)ajʔ/
- (Zhengzhang): /*ŋralʔ/
Definitions
蟻
- ant (Classifier: 隻／只 c)
- 人如極細極細的蟻 從來難敵時代的洗禮 [Literary Cantonese, trad.]
- From: 2022, 林家謙 [Terence Lam], lyrics by 黃偉文 [Wyman Wong], 邊一個發明了ENCORE
- jan4 jyu4 gik6 sai3 gik6 sai3 dik1 ngai5, cung4 loi4 naan4 dik6 si4 doi6 dik1 sai2 lai5
- People are teeny-tiny ants; they can hardly ever go against the test of time
人如极细极细的蚁 从来难敌时代的洗礼 [Literary Cantonese, simp.]
- (literary) foam or sediment in wine; lees
- (literary) humble; inconsiderable
- (literary) black
- (literary) in an assembled manner
- a surname
Synonyms
Dialectal synonyms of 螞蟻 (“ant”)
Compounds
- 先驅螻蟻／先驱蝼蚁
- 兵蟻／兵蚁 (bīngyǐ)
- 如蟻附羶／如蚁附羶
- 工蟻／工蚁 (gōngyǐ)
- 排蟻陣／排蚁阵
- 浮蟻／浮蚁
- 淥蟻／渌蚁
- 熊蟻／熊蚁
- 白螞蟻／白蚂蚁 (báimǎyǐ)
- 白蟻／白蚁 (báiyǐ)
- 矛蟻／矛蚁 (máoyǐ)
- 綠蟻／绿蚁
- 群蟻潰堤／群蚁溃堤
- 群蟻附羶／群蚁附羶
- 肥蟲蟻／肥虫蚁
- 蓐蟻／蓐蚁
- 蜂屯蟻聚／蜂屯蚁聚
- 蜜蟻／蜜蚁
- 蝸居蟻垤／蜗居蚁垤
- 螞蟻／蚂蚁 (mǎyǐ)
- 螞蟻上樹／蚂蚁上树 (mǎyǐshàngshù)
- 螞蟻窩／蚂蚁窝 (mǎyǐwō)
- 螞蟻緣槐／蚂蚁缘槐
- 螻蟻／蝼蚁 (lóuyǐ)
- 螻蟻得志／蝼蚁得志
- 蟲蟲蟻蟻／虫虫蚁蚁
- 蟲蟻／虫蚁 (chóngyǐ)
- 蟻動／蚁动
- 蟻合／蚁合
- 蟻垤／蚁垤 (yǐdié)
- 蟻夢／蚁梦
- 蟻寇／蚁寇
- 蟻封／蚁封
- 蟻慕／蚁慕
- 蟻民／蚁民 (yǐmín)
- 蟻潰／蚁溃
- 蟻獅／蚁狮
- 蟻穴／蚁穴 (yǐxué)
- 蟻結／蚁结
- 蟻聚之兵／蚁聚之兵
- 蟻聚蜂屯／蚁聚蜂屯
- 蟻術／蚁术
- 蟻裳／蚁裳
- 蟻觀／蚁观
- 蟻酸／蚁酸 (yǐsuān)
- 蟻醛／蚁醛 (yǐquán)
- 蟻附／蚁附
- 蟻集／蚁集
- 蟻鼻錢／蚁鼻钱
- 蠶蟻／蚕蚁 (cányǐ)
- 隄潰蟻孔／隄溃蚁孔
- 飛蟻／飞蚁
- 食蟻獸／食蚁兽 (shíyǐshòu)
- 馬蟻／马蚁
- 麋沸蟻動／麋沸蚁动
- 麋沸蟻聚／麋沸蚁聚
Japanese
Kanji
蟻
Readings
Alternative forms
- 螘 (rare)
Etymology 1
| Kanji in this term |
|---|
| 蟻 |
| あり Hyōgai |
| kun'yomi |
Unknown. From Old Japanese, but the ultimate derivation remains a mystery. There are potentially interesting similarities to Korean 아리 (ari, “leg”) and 아래 (arae, “below, beneath”), but evidence is lacking.
Pronunciation
Noun
Usage notes
- As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana, especially in biological contexts (where katakana is customary), as アリ.
Idioms
Idioms
- 蟻の這い出る隙間もない (ari no haideru sukima mo nai): “not even a crack wide enough for an ant to crawl through” → without a gap, close, tight
- 蟻の熊野参り (ari no Kumano-mairi), 蟻の伊勢参り (ari no Ise-mairi), 蟻の百度参り (ari no hyakudo-mairi), 蟻の堂参り (ari no dō-mairi), 蟻の物参り (ari no mono-mairi): “an ants' pilgrimage to Kumano / Ise / the hundred shrines and temples / the temples / the holy sites” → a metaphor likening ants in single file to a procession of pilgrims; alternately, a metaphor for a large group of people moving in single file
- 蟻の一穴 (ari no ikketsu): “a single ant-hole” → a metaphor for the way a tiny thing can cause grave consequences; compare a stitch in time saves nine
- 蟻の穴から堤も崩れる (ari no ana kara tsutsumi mo kuzureru), 蟻の穴より堤の崩れ (ari no ana yori tsutsumi no kuzure): “even a dike can fall apart due to an ant-hole” → a metaphor for the way a tiny thing can cause grave consequences; compare a stitch in time saves nine
- 蟻の甘きにつく如し (ari no amaki ni tsuku gotoshi): “just like ants drawn to a sweet” → a metaphor for the way that people are drawn to profitable things; compare like a moth to a flame, of nearly opposite meaning
- 蟻の思いも天に届く (ari no omoi mo ten ni todoku), 蟻の思いも天に昇る (ari no omoi mo ten ni noboru): “even an ant's thoughts can reach / rise to the heavens” → no matter how humble or lowly, if one tries hard enough, one's wishes can still be heard by the gods in heaven; compare where there's a will, there's a way
- 蟻の塔を組む如し (ari no tō o kumu gotoshi): “just like building an ant tower ” → even great deeds can be accomplished through patient work; compare a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Derived terms
Derived terms
Etymology 2
| Kanji in this term |
|---|
| 蟻 |
| ぎ Hyōgai |
| on'yomi |
From Middle Chinese 蟻 (MC ngjeX). Compare modern Cantonese reading ngai5.
Pronunciation
Affix
Usage notes
- This reading is only found in compounds. When the character is used on its own, it is always read as the kun'yomi of ari.
Derived terms
Derived terms
- 蟻群 (gigun): a group of ants
- 蟻径 (gikei): a narrow road or path (from the way that ants tend to travel in single file)
- 蟻穴 (giketsu): an anthill, a hole dug by ants; a very small fault or mistake
- 蟻蚕 (gisan): a silkworm that has just hatched from its egg (from the superficial similarity to an ant)
- 蟻酸 (gisan): formic acid
- 蟻酸塩 (gisan'en): formate
- 蟻集, 蟻聚 (gishū): a large grouping, as of many ants
- 蟻走感 (gisōkan): formication: a feeling as of many bugs crawling on one's skin
- 蟻付 (gifu): a large grouping or gathering of people, much as ants will gather around something sweet
- 蟻封 (gihō): an anthill
- 蟻量 (giryō): “ant-weight”: the weight of a silkworm just after hatching from its egg (see 蟻蚕 above)
- 蟻垤 (gitetsu): an anthill
Etymology 3
| Kanji in this term |
|---|
| 蟻 |
| ありのこ Hyōgai |
| kun'yomi |
| Alternative spelling |
|---|
| 蟻の子 |
Compound of 蟻 (ari, “ant”) + の (no, possessive particle) + 子 (ko, “child; small thing”).
Pronunciation
Noun
- (obsolete) an ant, particularly one without wings
- 794, Shin'yaku Kegonkyō Ongi Shiki, page 161:
- 蚊蟻 上可 下音疑 訓安利乃古[2]
- Ant. The Japanese reading above is ka; the other reading in Chinese is gi; the Japanese reading for these characters is ari-no-ko.
- (obsolete) an ant egg or larva
Usage notes
- The spelling of 蟻 for ari no ko is generally only seen in old texts. In modern Japanese, this term is much more commonly spelled as 蟻の子.
References
- ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
- ^ Unknown (794) Yoshinori Kobayashi, editor, Shin'yaku Kegonkyō Ongi Shiki (Kojisho Ongi Shūsei) (in Japanese), volume 1, Kyūko Shoin, published 1978, →ISBN.
Kikai
Kanji
蟻
Readings
Etymology
Cognate with Japanese 蟻 (ari, “ant”).
Pronunciation
Noun
蟻 (ānī)
Korean
Etymology
From Middle Chinese 蟻 (MC ngjeX).
| Historical Readings | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dongguk Jeongun Reading | ||
| Dongguk Jeongun, 1448 | ᅌᅴᆼ〯 (Yale: ngǔy) | |
| Middle Korean | ||
| Text | Eumhun | |
| Gloss (hun) | Reading | |
| Hunmong Jahoe, 1527 | 가야미〮 (Yale: kàyàmí) | 의〯 (Yale: ǔy) |
Pronunciation
- (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA(key):
- Phonetic hangul:
Hanja
Compounds
References
Northern Amami Ōshima
Kanji
蟻
Readings
Etymology
Cognate with Japanese 蟻 (ari, “ant”).
Noun
蟻 (ami)
Okinawan
Kanji
蟻
Readings
Etymology
Cognate with Japanese 蟻 (ari, “ant”).
Pronunciation
Noun
蟻 (ai)
Compounds
- 蟻子 (aikō, “ant”)
Okinoerabu
Kanji
蟻
Readings
Etymology
Cognate with Japanese 蟻 (ari, “ant”).
Pronunciation
Noun
蟻 (ani)
Southern Amami Ōshima
Kanji
蟻
Readings
Etymology
Cognate with Japanese 蟻 (ari, “ant”).
Noun
蟻 (ami)
Vietnamese
Han character
蟻: Hán Nôm readings: nghĩ, nghị
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Yonaguni
Kanji
蟻
Readings
Etymology
Cognate with Japanese 蟻 (ari, “ant”).
Pronunciation
Noun
蟻 (aya)