蚂蚁腰
mǎ​yǐ​yāo

tiny waist

蚂 mǎ ant Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 虫 represents the meaning and 马 represents the sound. Simplified form of 螞.

Components

虫
虫 Meaning component
chóng bug, insect
马
马 Sound component
mǎ horse

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

蚁 yǐ ants Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 虫 represents the meaning and 义 represents the sound. Simplified form of 蟻.

Components

虫
虫 Meaning component
chóng bug, insect
义
义 Sound component
yì justice

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

腰 yāo waist

Phonosemantic compound. ⺼ represents the meaning and 要 represents the sound.

Components

⺼
⺼ Meaning component
ròu meat, flesh

⺼ is a component form of 肉.

要
要 Sound component
yào, yāo want

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagart'jiewʔew waist

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart

螞 mǎ ant Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 虫 represents the meaning and 馬 represents the sound.

Components

虫
虫 Meaning component
chóng bug, insect
馬
馬 Sound component
mǎ horse

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

蟻 yǐ ants Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 虫 represents the meaning and 義 represents the sound.

Components

虫
虫 Meaning component
chóng bug, insect
義
義 Sound component
yì right conduct

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartngjeXm-qʰ(r)ajʔant
Zhengzhangŋralʔ
Unicodengyɛ̌

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-SagartZhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica