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venom

HSK 10
コ、ヤ
まじ、まじこ.る
Depicts poisonous insects (蟲) placed in a container (皿). Alludes to the practice of cultivating poisonous insects inside a container by letting all of the insects devour each other until one poisonous insects remains to use as poison.
Components
insects+ dish =
venom
Iconic component
insects
Used here to depict poisonous insects.
Iconic component
mǐn dish
shallow container
Notes
Historical Evolution
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle
(~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle
(~1250-1000 BC)
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal
Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical
Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Seal
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical
Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical
Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Regular
Modern
Chinese
/ [gǔ]
arch. legendary venomous insect; to poison; to bewitch; to drive to insanity; to harm by witchcraft; intestinal parasite
Japanese
まじ 同音

noun

  1. archaic charmed and cursed
  2. something that bewilders; something that leads one astray; the work of demons
Example Sentences