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 *C-roq.
Pronunciation
- Mandarin
- Cantonese
- Hakka
- Jin (Wiktionary): i2
- Northern Min (KCR): ngṳè
- Eastern Min (BUC): ngiê
- Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): hyor5 / hoe5 / hua5 / hya5 / hia5 / gi3
- Southern Min
- Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): 6gni
- Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): nyi5 / nyi4
- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Hanyu Pinyin: yǐ
- 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/
- (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
- Hakka Romanization System: ngieˇ
- Sinological IPA: /ŋie¹¹/
- (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)
- Puxian Min
- (Putian)
- Pouseng Ping'ing: hyor5
- Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: hiō̤
- Sinological IPA (key): /hyɒ¹¹/
- (Jiangkou)
- Pouseng Ping'ing: hoe5
- Sinological IPA (key): /hœ¹¹/
- (Nanri)
- Pouseng Ping'ing: hua5
- Sinological IPA (key): /hua¹¹/
- (Xianyou, Youyang)
- Pouseng Ping'ing: hya5
- Sinological IPA (key): /hya²¹/
- (Fengting)
- Pouseng Ping'ing: hia5
- Sinological IPA (key): /hia²¹/
- (Putian, Jiangkou, Nanri)
- Pouseng Ping'ing: gi3
- Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: gî
- Sinological IPA (key): /ki⁴⁵³/
- (Xianyou, Youyang, Fengting)
- Pouseng Ping'ing: gi3
- Sinological IPA (key): /ki³³²/
- (Putian)
Note:
- hyor5/hoe5/hua5/hya5/hia5 - vernacular;
- gi3 - literary.
- Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Yongchun, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Sanxia, Yilan, Kinmen, Magong, Hsinchu, Taichung, Singapore)
- (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.
Note:
- hia6 - vernacular;
- ngi6 - literary.
- Middle Chinese: ngjeX
- Old Chinese
- (Baxter–Sagart): /*m-qʰ(r)ajʔ/
- (Zhengzhang): /*ŋralʔ/
Definitions
蟻
- ant (Classifier: 隻／只 c)
- (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 (yǐshī)
- 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
References
- “蟻”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database), 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
- 莆田市政协文化文史和学习委员会 , editor (2021), “蚁”, in 莆仙方言大词典 (overall work in Mandarin and Puxian Min), Xiamen University Press, →ISBN, page 294.
- 李如龙 , 刘福铸 , 吴华英 , 黄国城 (2019) “蚁”, in 莆仙方言调查报告 (overall work in Mandarin and Puxian Min), Xiamen University Press, →ISBN, page 160.
Japanese
Kanji
蟻
Readings
Alternative forms
- 螘 (rare)
Etymology 1
| Kanji in this term |
|---|
| 蟻 |
| あり Hyōgai |
| kun'yomi |
Unknown. From Old Japanese, although it only appears as a 訓仮名 (kungana) reading, not being otherwise attested in prose.
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 (ari).
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
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
- 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:
- (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 (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)