míng​líng

adopted son

míng kind of caterpillar

Components

Meaning component
chóng bug, insect

insect

Sound component
míng, mián, miàn dark

Character Evolution

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

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangmeːŋ

說文解字

蟲食穀葉者。吏冥冥犯法卽生螟。从虫从冥,冥亦聲。

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica

líng dragonfly

Components

Meaning component
chóng bug, insect

insect

Sound component
lìng command

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangreːŋ

說文解字

蜻蛉也。从虫令聲。一名桑桹。

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica