蛉
dragonfly, moon moth
Readings
On'yomi
- レイ
Kun'yomi
—
Meaning
蛉 centers on a specific insect: the dragonfly, and by extension a similar-looking moth. It is not a general insect term but a precise name for these creatures.
Most common words using 蛉
- 蜻蛉とんぼN1
dragonfly
- 伊予蜻蛉いよとんぼ
whip-carrying habenaria (Habenaria iyoensis)
- 塩辛蜻蛉しおからとんぼ
Orthetrum albistylum speciosum (subspecies of white-tailed skimmer)
- 川蜻蛉かわとんぼ
broad-winged damselfly (of family Calopterygidae)
- 御歯黒蜻蛉おはぐろとんぼ
Calopteryx atrata (species of damselfly)
- 昔蜻蛉むかしとんぼ
Epiophlebia superstes (species of living-fossil dragonfly endemic to Japan)
- 水蜻蛉みずとんぼ
Habenaria sagittifera (species of bog orchid)
- 涸沼糸蜻蛉ひぬまいととんぼ
Mortonagrion hirosei (species of damselfly)
- 深山川蜻蛉みやまがわとんぼ
Calopteryx cornelia (species of damselfly)
- 紅糸蜻蛉べにいととんぼ
Ceriagrion nipponicum (species of damselfly)
- 羽黒蜻蛉はぐろとんぼ
Calopteryx atrata (species of damselfly)
- 蛇蜻蛉へびとんぼ
dobsonfly (esp. species Protohermes grandis)
- 螟蛉めいれい
hornworm
- 角蜻蛉つのとんぼ
owlfly (any insect of family Ascalaphidae); owl fly
- 麦藁蜻蛉むぎわらとんぼ
dragonfly
- 黄蜻蛉きとんぼ
yellow darter (Sympetrum croceolum) (dragonfly species of East Asia)
Study
Etymology
蛉 combines the insect radical 虫 with 令, which likely provides the sound. The character was created to name specific insects, particularly the dragonfly.
Meaning mnemonic
The insect radical 虫 on the left tells you it's a bug, and the right side 令 looks a bit like a dragonfly's long body and wings. Picture a dragonfly resting with its wings spread like the strokes of 令.
Reading mnemonic
For レイ, imagine a dragonfly landing on a ray of light: ray -> レイ, and the dragonfly's delicate wings shimmer in the sun.