蝉

See also: 蟬

蝉 U+8749, 蝉 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-8749 ← 蝈 [U+8748] CJK Unified Ideographs 蝊 → [U+874A]

Translingual

Traditional	蟬
Shinjitai (extended)	蝉
Simplified	蝉

Han character

蝉 (Kangxi radical 142, 虫+8 in Chinese, 虫+9 in Japanese, 14 strokes in Chinese, 15 strokes in Japanese, cangjie input 中戈金田十 (LICWJ), four-corner 5815₆, composition ⿰虫单 (G) or ⿰虫単 (J))

Usage notes

Due to Han unification, this Unicode character appears as 蝉 (虫单) in PRC-style fonts and 蝉 (虫単) in Japan-style fonts.

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: not present, would follow page 1088, character 34
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2866, character 1
• Unihan data for U+8749

Chinese

Glyph origin

Simplified from 蟬 (單 → 单).

Definitions

For pronunciation and definitions of 蝉 – see 蟬 (“cicada; a type of silk as thin as a cicada's wing; etc.”). (This character is the simplified form of 蟬).

Notes: Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China, Malaysia, and Singapore. Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

Japanese

Shinjitai (extended)	蝉
Kyūjitai	蟬

Kanji

蝉

(uncommon “Hyōgai” kanji, shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai form 蟬)

1. Extended shinjitai form of 蟬: cicada

Readings

• Go-on: ぜん (zen)
• Kan-on: せん (sen)
• Kun: せみ (semi, 蝉); せび (sebi, 蝉)
• Nanori: せみ (semi)

Compounds

Compounds

• 蝉(セミ)海老(エビ) (semiebi, “blunt slipper lobster (Scyllarides squammosus)”)
• 蝉(セミ)魴鮄(ホウボウ) (semi-hōbō, “Oriental flying gurnard”)
• 川蝉(カワセミ) (kawasemi, “kingfisher”)
• 寒蝉(かんせん) (kansen), 寒蝉(かんぜん) (kanzen, “cicadas which sing in late autumn​”)
• 秋蝉(しゅうせん) (shūsen, “cicadas that sing when autumn comes”)
• 耳蝉(ミミズク) (mimizuku, “eared leaf-hopper”)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
蝉
せみ Hyōgaiji
kun’yomi

Alternative spelling
蟬 (kyūjitai)

/sen/ → */semu/ → /semi/

Ultimately from Middle Chinese 蟬 (MC dzyen). (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?) Compare 文 (fumi).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) せみ [sèmí] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [se̞mʲi]

Noun

蝉(せみ) or 蝉(セミ) • (semi) 

1. generic name for a cicada (any of several insects of the order Hemiptera); locust (chiefly US)
2. the back part a 横笛 (yokobue, “Japanese transverse flute”), about one centimeter from the embouchure hole, usually shaped like a cicada (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?)
3. a small pulley used to raise objects to high places
4. (by extension) a pulley used to lift sails in a 和船 (wasen, “Japanese-style ship”) (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?)

Synonyms

• (flute part): 蝉口(せみぐち) (semiguchi) 蝉本(せみもと) (semimoto)

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 蝉(せみ)の羽(は)月(づき) (semi no hazuki, “sixth lunar month”)
• 蝉(せみ)時雨(しぐれ) (semi-shigure, “outburst of cicadas singing​”)
• 秋蝉(あきぜみ) (akizemi, “cicadas that sing when autumn comes​”)
• 秋(あき)の蝉(せみ) (aki no semi, “cicadas that sing even in autumn​”)
• 油(アブラ)蝉(ゼミ), 鳴蜩(アブラゼミ) (aburazemi)
• 空蝉(うつせみ), 虚蝉(うつせみ) (utsusemi)
• 蝦夷(エゾ)蝉(セミ) (Ezo semi)
• 唖蝉(オシゼミ) (oshizemi)
• 寒蝉(かんぜみ) (kanzemi, “cicadas which sing in late autumn​”)
• 熊蝉(クマゼミ) (kumazemi)
• 角蝉(ツノゼミ) (tsunozemi)
• 夏蝉(なつぜみ) (natsuzemi, “summer cicadas”)
• 春蝉(ハルゼミ) (haruzemi)
• 法(ホウ)師(シ)蝉(ゼミ) (hōshi-zemi)
• 松蝉(まつぜみ) (matsuzemi, “cicada abundant in late spring​”)
• みんみん蝉(ゼミ), 蛁蟟(ミンミンゼミ) (minmin-zemi)
• にいにい蝉(ゼミ) (niinii-zemi)
• 夕蝉(ゆうぜみ) (yūzemi, “cicada singing at dusk”)

See also

• 飛蝗(バッタ) (batta, “locust, grasshopper”)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
蝉
せび Hyōgaiji
kun’yomi

Alternative spelling
蟬 (kyūjitai)

/semi/ ⇔ /sebi/

A shift from semi above. Bilabial nasal /m/ becomes bilabial plosive /b/. (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?) Appears in the Shinsen Jikyō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [se̞bʲi]

Noun

蝉(せび) • (sebi) 

1. Synonym of セミ (“cicada”) above