蝉蜕
chán​tuì

cicada slough

蝉 chán cicada Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 虫 represents the meaning and 单 represents the sound. Simplified form of 蟬.

Components

虫
虫 Meaning component
chóng bug, insect
单
单 Sound component
dān single

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

蜕 tuì, yuè molt Simplified

An insect 虫 changing 兑 its skin; 兑 also provides the pronunciation

Components

虫
虫 Meaning component
chóng bug, insect
兑
兑 Meaning component
duì, ruì, duó exchange

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

蟬 chán cicada Traditional

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

Components

虫
虫 Meaning component
chóng bug, insect
單
單 Sound component
dān single

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartdzyen[d]a[r]cicada
Zhengzhangdjan
Unicodezhiɛn

說文解字

以㫄鳴者。从虫單聲。

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-SagartZhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

蛻 molt Traditional

An insect 虫 changing 兌 its skin; 兌 also provides the pronunciation

Components

虫
虫 Meaning component
chóng bug, insect
兌
兌 SoundMeaning component
exchange

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartthwajHl̥ ˤot-sexuviae of insects or reptiles
ywetlotexuviae of insects or reptiles
Zhengzhangl'oːds
l̥ʰoːds
hljods
lod
lod

說文解字

蛇蟬所解皮也。从虫，捝省。

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-SagartZhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)