螟蛉

Chinese

		Heliothus armigera
trad. (螟蛉)		螟	蛉
simp. #(螟蛉)		螟	蛉

Etymology

Reduplicated from *mliŋ according to Li Fang-Kuei apud Schuessler (2007).

While Pittayaporn (2009) proposes that Proto-Tai *m.leːŋᴬ (“insect”) is loaned from either early or late Middle Chinese, Schuessler (2007) proposes the reverse loan-direction: i.e. from Tai into Chinese (see also Li (1976)).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): mínglíng

  (Zhuyin): ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄌㄧㄥˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ming⁴ ling⁴
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): bêng-lêng

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)
    • Hanyu Pinyin: mínglíng
    • Zhuyin: ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄌㄧㄥˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: mínglíng
    • Wade–Giles: ming²-ling²
    • Yale: míng-líng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: mingling
    • Palladius: минлин (minlin)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /miŋ³⁵ liŋ³⁵/
    • Homophones:

      [Show/Hide]
      edit edit 名伶 明靈 / 明灵 螟蛉

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: ming⁴ ling⁴
    • Yale: mìhng lìhng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ming⁴ ling⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: ming⁴ ling⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɪŋ²¹ lɪŋ²¹/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bêng-lêng
    • Tâi-lô: bîng-lîng
    • Phofsit Daibuun: bengleeng
    • IPA (Xiamen): /biɪŋ²⁴⁻²² liɪŋ²⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /biɪŋ²⁴⁻²² liɪŋ²⁴/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /biɪŋ¹³⁻²² liɪŋ¹³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /biɪŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ liɪŋ²⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /biɪŋ²³⁻³³ liɪŋ²³/

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• Middle Chinese: meng leng

Rime
Character	螟	蛉
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	明 (4)	來 (37)
Final (韻)	青 (125)	青 (125)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	IV	IV
Fanqie	莫經切	郎丁切
Baxter	meng	leng
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/meŋ/	/leŋ/
Pan Wuyun	/meŋ/	/leŋ/
Shao Rongfen	/mɛŋ/	/lɛŋ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/mɛjŋ/	/lɛjŋ/
Li Rong	/meŋ/	/leŋ/
Wang Li	/mieŋ/	/lieŋ/
Bernhard Karlgren	/mieŋ/	/lieŋ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	míng	líng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	ming4	ling4

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*meːŋ  reːŋ/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	螟	蛉
Reading #	1/1	1/1
No.	9201	8291
Phonetic component	冥	令
Rime group	耕	耕
Rime subdivision	0	0
Corresponding MC rime	冥	靈
Old Chinese	/*meːŋ/	/*reːŋ/

Noun

螟蛉

1. green rice caterpillar (Naranga aenescens); (in general) caterpillar of many Lepidoptera species, such as the corn earworm or the small white butterfly (which destroy rice and other plants)

   • 螟蛉有子，蜾蠃負之。教誨爾子，式穀似之。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     螟蛉有子，蜾蠃负之。教诲尔子，式谷似之。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Mínglíng yǒu zǐ, guǒluǒ fù zhī. Jiàohuì ěr zǐ, shìgǔ sì zhī. [Pinyin]

     The mulberry insect has young ones,
     And the sphex carries them away.
     Teach and train your sons,
     And they will become good as you are.

   • 螟蛉之子殪，而逢蜾蠃。祝之曰：「類我，類我。」久則肖之矣！速哉，七十子之肖仲尼也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     螟蛉之子殪，而逢蜾蠃。祝之曰：「类我，类我。」久则肖之矣！速哉，七十子之肖仲尼也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Yang Xiong, Fa Yan (Exemplary Sayings), 9 CE

     Mínglíng zhī zǐ yì, ér féng guǒluǒ. Zhù zhī yuē: “Lèi wǒ, lèi wǒ.” Jiǔ zé xiào zhī yǐ! Sù zāi, qīshí zǐ zhī xiào Zhòngní yě. [Pinyin]

     The dying moth larva encountered the wasp. The wasp snatched it away saying, “Be like me, be like me.”
     After a while, they were alike. How quickly it is, that the seventy disciples became like Confucius!

2. (literary, figurative) Short for 螟蛉子 (mínglíngzǐ, “adopted son”).

Derived terms

• 稻螟蛉
• 螟蛉之子 (mínglíngzhīzǐ)
• 螟蛉仔囝
• 螟蛉子 (mínglíngzǐ)

 

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (螟蛉):

• → Japanese: 螟蛉(めいれい) (meirei)
• → Korean: 명령(螟蛉) (myeongnyeong)

Others:

• →? Proto-Tai: *m.leːŋᴬ (“insect”)

Japanese

Kanji in this term
螟	蛉
めい Hyōgai	れい Hyōgai
kan'on

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 螟蛉 (MC meng leng).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) めーれー [mèéréé] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [me̞ːɾe̞ː]

Noun

螟(めい)蛉(れい) • (meirei) 

1. Synonym of 青虫 (aomushi): any butterfly or moth larvae that are colored green
2. (figurative) Synonym of 養子 (yōshi): an adopted child