Etymology:

Elements  ----  Insect 虫 + horse 马. Phonetic series 马.

This character is used in the name of some insects whose actions could be related to those of horses. As ant (蚂蚁 mǎyǐ), an insect that carries loads as horses 马 do; locust (蚂蚱 màzha) the insect that jumps suddenly as a horse; or leech (蚂蟥 mǎhuáng), of recent creation.

Main Words:

蚂蚁 mǎyǐ ant.

(蚂蚱 màzha locust.

蚂蟥 mǎhuáng leech

Discussion and sources

SELECTED BOOKS ABOUT CHINESE CHARACTERS

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