First, the evolution of glyphs
Worm, the original character for 虺 (huǐ), was originally a poisonous snake. The first text is found in the Shang Dynasty oracle bones, the oracle bone glyphs are like a snake with an upward head, a snake with a snake with its body snaked and its tail cocked, and some glyphs are also specially drawn with a pointed snake head, so that people can recognize it as a poisonous snake at a glance. Originally a hieroglyph, it means a smaller serpent.
Jin Wen continues the pictogram of the oracle bone, depicting the image of a snake more realistically. The word "worm" on the Western Zhou Dynasty (hū) also draws the snake's eyes on the head, which come alive and jump on the paper.
The lines of the small seal strokes are more curved, and there are two glyphs of worms (huǐ) and chóngs, and the pictogram of the original snake can no longer be seen. The traditional character 蟲 of the current simplified insect (chóng) character first appeared in the Warring States period.
The Lishu straightened the lines of the small seal, and its head gradually became square, completely losing its original pictogram and becoming a ideographic character. The following are two glyphs of worm (huǐ) and 蟲 (chóng):
The glyph of the letter continues to be lishu, the head is square, and the body and tail are written with vertical, horizontal and dot strokes, forming a simplified "worm" character. There are two ways to write the traditional three worms (worms). The glyphs are:
2. Meaning
The "worm" oracle bone text image snake-like, read huǐ, is a poisonous snake. After the Warring States period, there was the character "蟲" (chóng), and when the Chinese character was simplified, "worm ( huǐ) was used as a simplified character for "蟲", and the original character "worm ( huǐ) " was created in addition to the "虺" character. Originally a venomous snake, it later referred to a general insect.
"Explanation of words": "Worms, worms with sufficient meanings, and unspeduled worms (zhì)." "Insects with feet are called "insects", such as centipedes; insects without feet are called "centipedes", such as earthworms.
"Worm (chóng)" is a synaesthetic word. The traditional glyph consists of three "worms ( huǐ ) because most insect larvae are curved and squirming , similar to snakes. In ancient times, three means many, and the original meaning of the word "worm" is the general name of various insects. "Worm" is also one of the commonly used radicals, and the word "worm" is mostly related to insects, snakes, etc.
But in ancient times, the meaning of "bug" was more extensive, and it was not limited to insects, snakes, etc. Therefore, some people think that the original meaning of "insect" should be the general name of animals. Now it is called snakes as long worms, tigers as large worms, fish shrimp as worm shrimp, etc.
Insects are the animals of the invertebrate arthropod phylum insect family in the animal kingdom, the largest group of all living things, and are the most prosperous animals in the world, with more than 1 million species found.