蟲

虫 + 虫 + 虫

蟲 is a classic ideogrammatic compound, formed by repeating the character 虫 (“insect”) three times. The repetition emphasizes multiplicity, suggesting many insects or creeping life in general.

In early Chinese thought, 虫 did not refer only to insects in the modern biological sense. It broadly covered small living creatures that crawl, wriggle, or creep, including insects, worms, larvae, and sometimes even reptiles.

By tripling 虫, 蟲 expresses:

- abundance of crawling creatures

- the collective category of small creeping life

곤충 (昆蟲) — insect

해충 (害蟲) — pest

익충 (益蟲) — beneficial insect

기생충 (寄生蟲) — parasite

In early Chinese cosmology, 蟲 represented low, earth-bound life, in contrast to birds (鳥) and humans (人).

The character reflects a pre-modern biological worldview, where classification was based on movement rather than anatomy.

The simplification to 虫 reflects modern standardization rather than a change in meaning.

Semantic field (related characters):

虫 — insect (basic form)

昆 — descendants; insects (used in 昆蟲)

蛾 — moth

蝶 — butterfly

蛇 — snake (originally classified under crawling creatures)

In Classical Chinese texts, 蟲 often refers to:

- insects collectively

- living beings of low physical stature

- creatures close to the earth

It can also appear in philosophical or moral metaphors, contrasting humans with lesser beings:

人與蟲別 — humans are distinct from insects

In some contexts, calling a person 蟲 implied contempt, insignificance, or moral inferiority.