螺

Phono-semantic compound:

虫 (충, “insect, worm, creature”) — semantic, indicating an animal (esp. small creatures, insects, mollusks).

累 (루, “to pile up, many, repeated”) — phonetic, providing sound and implying repetition or coiling.

Originally depicted spiral-shelled mollusks such as conches and whelks, later generalized to spiral shapes.

螺鈿 (라전) — mother-of-pearl inlay (literally “conch inlay”).

螺旋 (라선) — spiral, helix.

海螺 (해라) — sea snail, conch.

螺帽 (라마) — nut (in mechanics, a spiral-shaped fastener).

Related characters:

蝸 (와) — specifically refers to snails.

螺 vs. 螺旋 — 螺 often highlights the shell/spiral shape, while 螺旋 emphasizes the motion or structure of a spiral.

Common in East Asian crafts and ornament names, e.g., 螺鈿工芸 (Japanese decorative art with shell inlay).