蜘蛛

Chinese

			spider
simp. and trad. (蜘蛛)		蜘	蛛
alternative forms		鼅鼄／𱌄𬹣 obsolete

Etymology

Reduplication in Old Chinese (Baxter and Sagart, 1998).

This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Noun

(deprecated template usage) 蜘蛛

1. spider

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 蜘蛛 (“spider”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		蜘蛛, 鼄蝥 QJ, 蠾蝓 ZW, 蝳蜍 NY, 社公 Q
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		蜘蛛
Taxonomic name		蜘蛛
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	蛛蛛, 蜘蛛
	Taiwan	蜘蛛
	Ulanhot	蛛蛛
	Tongliao	蛛蛛
	Chifeng	蛛蛛
	Hulunbuir (Hailar)	蛛蛛
	Harbin	蜘蛛兒, 蛛蛛兒, 癩癩蛛
	Shenyang	癩癩蛛
	Malaysia	蜘蛛
	Singapore	蜘蛛
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	阿郎蛛子, 阿郎蛛, 蜘蛛
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Yantai (Muping)	老老蛛, 癩癩蛛
Central Plains Mandarin	Luoyang	蛛蛛
	Wanrong	蛛蛛
	Zhengzhou	蛛蛛
	Xi'an	蛛蛛
	Xining	蛛蛛
	Xuzhou	羅蛛子, 羅羅蛛子
	Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan)	蛛蛛
	Masanchin (Shaanxi Dungan)	蛛蛛
Lanyin Mandarin	Yinchuan	蟢里蛛蛛
	Bayanhot	蛛蛛
	Lanzhou	蛛蛛
	Ürümqi	蛛蛛
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	蜘蛛, 蜇蛛
	Wuhan	蜘蛛
	Guiyang	蝃蛛
	Kunming	蜘蛛
	Guilin	蜘蛛
	Guanyang	波絲
	Liuzhou	蜘蛛
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	蜘蛛
	Yangzhou	蜘蛛
	Nantong	蟢蟢, 蟢蟢兒
	Hefei	蜘蛛
Mandarin	Fuzhou (Qinjiang, Changle)	賴蜘蜘
Cantonese	Guangzhou	蜘蛛, 蠄蟧
	Hong Kong	蠄蟧, 蜘蛛
	Hong Kong (San Tin Weitou)	蠄蟧
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin Weitou)	蠄蟧
	Hong Kong (Ting Kok)	蝲䗁
	Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau)	蝲䗁
	Macau	蠄蟧
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	蜘蛛, 蠄蟧
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	蠄蟧
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	蠄蟧
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	蠄蟧
	Foshan	蜘蛛, 蠄蟧
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	蜘蛛, 蠄蟧
	Foshan (Shunde)	蠄蟧
	Foshan (Sanshui)	蠄蟧, 蜘蛛
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	蠄蟧
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	蠄蟧
	Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou)	蠄蟧
	Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka)	蠄蟧
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	蠄蟧
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	蠄蟧
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	蠄蟧
	Taishan	蠄蟧
	Kaiping (Chikan)	蠄蟧
	Enping (Niujiang)	蠄蟧
	Heshan (Yayao)	蠄蟧
	Dongguan	蠄蟧
	Shenzhen (Dapeng)	蠄蟧
	Shaoguan	蠄蟧
	Yunfu	蠄蟧
	Yangjiang	蠄蟧
	Xinyi	蠄蟧
	Lianjiang	蠄蟧
	Nanning	蜘蛛, 蠄蟧
	Wuzhou	蜘蛛, 蠄蟧
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	蜘蛛
Gan	Nanchang	蝃蛛, 蝃蛛子
	Lichuan	庖繅
	Pingxiang	織蛛
Hakka	Meixian	蝲䗁
	Xingning	蝲䗁
	Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua)	蠄蟧
	Huidong (Daling)	蝲䗁
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	蝲䗁
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	蝲䗁
	Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)	蝲䗁
	Wuhua (Huacheng)	蝲䗁
	Heyuan (Bendihua)	蠄蟧
	Wengyuan	蝲䗁
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	蝲䗁
	Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang)	蝲䗁
	Liannan	蝲䗁
	Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua)	蝲䗁
	Jiexi	蝲䗁
	Luhe	蝲䗁
	Zhao'an (Xiuzhuan)	蝲䗁
	Changting	蝲䗁
	Wuping	蝲䗁
	Wuping (Yanqian)	蝲䗁
	Wuping (Pingyu)	蝲䗁
	Liancheng	奇肖
	Ninghua	奇肖子
	Yudu	斜佬
	Ruijin	斜佬
	Shicheng	奇肖
	Shangyou (Shexi)	蝲䗁
	Tonggu (Sandu)	蝲䗁
	Ganzhou (Panlong)	蝲䗁
	Dayu	蝲䗁
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	蝲䗁, 蜘蛛
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	蝲䗁, 蜘蛛
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	蝲䗁, 蜘蛛
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	蜘蛛, 蝲䗁
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	蝲䗁, 蜘蛛
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	蜘蛛, 蝲䗁
	Hong Kong	蝲䗁
	Yangxi (Tangkou)	蠄蟧
	Yangchun (Sanjia)	蜘蛛
	Xinyi (Sihe)	蠄蟧
	Xinyi (Qianpai)	蠄蟧
	Gaozhou (Xindong)	蝲䗁
	Maoming (Shalang, Dianbai)	蝲䗁
	Huazhou (Xin'an)	蝲䗁
	Lianjiang (Shijiao)	蝲䗁
	Lianjiang (Qingping)	蝲䗁
	Mengshan (Xihe)	甘羅
	Luchuan (Daqiao)	蝲䗁
	Sabah (Longchuan)	蝲䗁
	Senai (Huiyang)	蝲䗁
	Singkawang	蜘蛛, 蝲䗁
Huizhou	Jixi	蛛蛛
	Shexian	蛛蛛
	Huangshan (Tunxi)	蛛蛛, 蜘蛛
Jin	Taiyuan	蛛蛛
	Pingyao	蛛蛛
	Xinzhou	羅螞蛛蛛, 蟢蛛蛛
	Taibus (Baochang)	狼螞蛛蛛
	Linhe	羅螞蛛蛛
	Jining	蜘蛛
	Hohhot	羅螞蛛蛛
	Baotou	蜘蛛
	Dongsheng	蜘蛛
	Haibowan	蜘蛛
Northern Min	Jian'ou	吊蛛
	Zhenghe (Zhenqian)	天蛛
	Wuyishan	蜘蛛仔
	Pucheng (Shibei)	糴蛛仔
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	蜘蛛
	Fuzhou (Changle)	馬兜爺
	Fuqing	蜘蛛
	Gutian	蟢囝
	Ningde	蟢囝
	Fuding	飛絲
Southern Min	Xiamen	蜘蛛
	Quanzhou	蜘蛛
	Zhangzhou	蜘蛛
	Zhao'an	蜘蛛
	Taipei	蜘蛛
	New Taipei (Tamsui)	蜘蛛
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	蜘蛛
	New Taipei (Pingxi)	蜘蛛
	Kaohsiung	蜘蛛
	Kaohsiung (Cijin)	蜘蛛
	Kaohsiung (Hongmaogang, Siaogang)	蜘蛛
	Kaohsiung (Dalinpu, Siaogang)	蜘蛛
	Kaohsiung (Tianliao)	蜘蛛
	Yilan	蜘蛛
	Yilan (Luodong)	蜘蛛
	Yilan (Toucheng)	蜘蛛
	Changhua (Lukang)	蜘蛛
	Taichung	蜘蛛
	Taichung (Wuqi)	蜘蛛
	Tainan	蜘蛛
	Tainan (Anping)	蜘蛛
	Taitung	蜘蛛
	Taitung (Green Island)	蜘蛛
	Hsinchu	蜘蛛
	Pingtung (Liuqiu)	蜘蛛
	Kinmen	蜘蛛
	Penghu (Magong)	經蛛, 蜘蛛
	Penghu (Pengnan)	經蛛
	Penghu (Xiyu)	經蛛
	Penghu (Huxi)	經蛛, 蜘蛛
	Penghu (Wangan)	經蛛
	Penghu (Cimei)	經蛛
	Penghu (Huayu)	經蛛
	Penghu (Zhongtun)	蜘蛛
	Penghu (Houliao)	蜘蛛
	Penghu (Tongliang)	蜘蛛
	Penghu (Jibei)	蜘蛛
	Penang (Hokkien)	蜘蛛
	Singapore (Hokkien)	蜘蛛
	Manila (Hokkien)	蜘蛛
	Longyan	蝲䗁
	Chaozhou	蜘蛛
	Shantou	蜘蛛
	Jieyang	蜘蛛
	Haifeng	蜘蛛
	Bangkok (Teochew)	蜘蛛
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	蜘蛛
	Singapore (Teochew)	胡蠅虎
	Pontianak (Teochew)	蜘蛛
	Leizhou	𧑃蚜
	Wenchang	紅蜈
	Haikou	龍牙古
Puxian Min	Putian	八臘爺
	Putian (Donghai, Chengxiang)	蜘蛛
	Putian (Jiangkou, Hanjiang)	八臘爺
	Putian (Nanri, Xiuyu)	八臘爺
	Xianyou	蜘蛛, 八臘爺
	Xianyou (Fengting)	蜘蛛
	Xianyou (Youyang)	蜘蛛
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi)	蠄蟧, 蜘蛛
	Zhongshan (Sanxiang)	蝲䗁
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	爪揸, 蛛蛛
Northern Pinghua	Guilin (Dahe)	飛絲
Waxiang	Guzhang (Gaofeng)	蛛蛛子
	Yuanling (Shaojiwan)	蛛蛛, 蛛蛛子
	Luxi (Baisha)	蛛
Wu	Shanghai	蜘蛛, 結蛛
	Shanghai (Chongming)	結蛛
	Suzhou	結蛛, 蜘蛛
	Wuxi	蜘蛛
	Danyang	蜘蛛
	Hangzhou	結蛛, 蜘蛛
	Ningbo	蛛蛛, 結蛛
	Wenzhou	絲網蜘蛛
	Jinhua	蟢, 八腳蟢, 蜘蛛
Xiang	Changsha	蜘蛛子, 蜘蛛
	Loudi	蜘蛛子, 蜘蛛
	Quanzhou	剝絲
Xiangnan Tuhua	Jiangyong	八腳每
Yuebei Tuhua	Shaoguan (Dacun, Baitu, Qujiang)	蝲䗁
	Shaoguan (Xiangyang, Xihe, Wujiang)	蝲䗁
	Shaoguan (Shibei, Xinshao, Zhenjiang)	蝲䗁
	Renhua (Zhoutian)	蝲䗁
	Renhua (Shitang)	蝲䗁
	Renhua (Songwei, Guitou)	蝲䗁
	Lechang (Changlai)	蝲䗁
	Lechang (Beixiang)	蝲䗁
	Lechang (Huangpu)	蝲䗁
	Lechang (Guitang, Pingshi)	蠄蟧
	Lechang (Sanxi)	香絲老網
Note	QJ - between ancient Qin and Jin ZW - in the vicinity of ancient Zhao and Wei NY - between Northern Yan, Korea and Lieshui Q - ancient Qi

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (蜘蛛):

• → Japanese: 蜘蛛(ちちゅう) (chichū); 蜘蛛(ちしゅ) (chishu); 蜘蛛(ちちゅ) (chichu)
• → Korean: 지주(蜘蛛) (jiju)
• → Vietnamese: tri chu (蜘蛛)

(deprecated template usage)

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Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
蜘	蛛
くも
Hyōgaiji	Hyōgaiji
jukujikun

From Old Japanese. Found in the Man'yōshū, completed in 759 CE.

Ultimate derivation unknown. Various theories exist, including:

• From 籠もる (komoru, “to hide inside something”), from the way that spiders hide in their webs
• From 組む (kumu, “to bundle something together”), from the way that spiders wrap up caught insects
• From 雲 (kumo, “cloud”), from the way that spider webs may look vaguely like clouds

May ultimately be cognate with Korean 거미 (geomi, “spider”). The kanji are an orthographic borrowing from Chinese 蜘蛛 (zhīzhū).

Noun

蜘蛛(くも) or 蜘蛛(クモ) • (kumo) 

1. spider
   • (deprecated template usage) 芥川龍之介, (deprecated template usage) 蜘蛛の糸

     御(お)釈(しゃ)迦(か)様(さま)は地(じ)獄(ごく)の容(よう)子(す)を御(ご)覧(らん)になりながら、この犍(かん)陀(だ)多(た)には蜘蛛(クモ)を助(たす)けた事(こと)があるのを御(お)思(おも)い出(だ)しになりました。

     O-shaka-sama wa jigoku no yōsu o goran ni narinagara, kono Kandata ni wa kumo o tasuketa koto ga aru no o o-omoidashi ni narimashita.

     While observing the state of Hell, Shakyamuni recalled that this Kandata had once spared a spider.

   • 1999 March 27, “蜘蛛(クモ)男(おとこ) [Werespider]”, in Vol.2, Konami:

     巨(きょ)大(だい)クモが知(ち)恵(え)をつけた姿(すがた)。糸(いと)を吐(は)き動(うご)きを封(ふう)じ込(こ)める。

     Kyodai kumo ga chie o tsuketa sugata. Ito o haki ugoki o fūjikomeru.

     This giant spider appears to be quite intelligent. It will lock your every movement with its threads.

   • 1999 July 22, “ハンター・スパイダー [Hunter Spider]”, in Vol.4, Konami:

     クモの巣(す)の罠(わな)を仕(し)掛(か)け狩(か)りをする。罠(わな)にかかったものは食(た)べてしまう。

     Kumo no su no wana o shikakekari o suru. Wana ni kakatta mono wa tabete shimau.

     It hunts by laying its spiderweb traps, and it eats whatever gets tangled in them.

Usage notes

As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana, especially in biological contexts (where katakana is customary), as クモ.

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 朝蜘蛛(あさぐも) (asagumo)
• 足高蜘蛛(あしだかぐも) (ashidakagumo): huntsman spider
• 足長蜘蛛(あしながぐも) (ashinagagumo):
• 穴蜘蛛(あなぐも) (anagumo)
• 蟻蜘蛛(ありぐも) (arigumo)
• 海蜘蛛(うみぐも) (umigumo): sea spider
• 鬼蜘蛛(おにぐも) (onigumo):
• 川蜘蛛(かわぐも) (kawagumo)
• 草蜘蛛(くさぐも) (kusagumo)
• 蜘蛛形類(くもがたるい) (kumogatarui)
• 蜘蛛蟹(くもがに) (kumogani): spider crab
• 蜘蛛切丸(くもきりまる) (kumokirimaru)
• 蜘蛛猿(くもざる) (kumozaru): spider monkey
• 蜘蛛手(くもで) (kumode)
• 蜘蛛(くも)の囲(い) (kumo no i): spiderweb
• 蜘蛛(くも)の糸(いと) (kumo no ito)
• 蜘蛛(くも)の行(おこな)い (kumo no okonai)
• 蜘蛛(くも)の子(こ) (kumo no ko): baby spider
• 蜘蛛(くも)の巣(す) (kumo no su): spiderweb
• 蜘蛛海星(くもひとで) (kumohitode): brittlestar
• 蜘蛛舞(くもまい) (kumomai)
• 蜘蛛膜(くもまく) (kumomaku): the arachnoid
• 蜘蛛目(くももく) (kumomoku)
• 黄金蜘蛛(こがねぐも) (koganegumo):
• 後家蜘蛛(ごけぐも) (gokegumo): widow spider
• 小町蜘蛛(こまちぐも) (komachigumo)
• 子守蜘蛛(こもりぐも) (komorigumo): wolf spider
• 下(さ)がり蜘蛛(ぐも) (sagarigumo)
• 笹蜘蛛(ささぐも) (sasagumo):
• 三番叟蜘蛛(さんばそうぐも) (sanbasōgumo)
• 地蜘蛛(じぐも) (jigumo):
• 女郎蜘蛛(じょろうぐも) (jorōgumo): joro spider
• 真正蜘蛛目(しんせいくももく) (shinseikumomoku)
• 棚蜘蛛(たなぐも) (tanagumo)
• 土蜘蛛(つちぐも) (tsuchigumo) ; tsuchigumo
• 毒蜘蛛(どくぐも) (dokugumo): poisonous spider; (obsolete) wolf spider
• 戸閉蜘蛛(とたてぐも) (totategumo)
• 鳥食蜘蛛(とりくいぐも) (torikuigumo): tarantula
• 鳥捕蜘蛛(とりとりぐも) (toritorigumo): tarantula
• 蝿取蜘蛛(はえとりぐも) (haetorigumo): jumping spider
• 花蜘蛛(はなぐも) (hanagumo)
• 平蜘蛛(ひらぐも) (hiragumo):
• 平蜘蛛(ひらたぐも) (hiratagumo), 扁蜘蛛(ひらたぐも) (hiratagumo):
• 袋蜘蛛(ふくろぐも) (fukurogumo): sac spider;
• 水蜘蛛(みずぐも) (mizugumo): water spider
• 盲蜘蛛(めくらぐも) (mekuragumo): harvestman
• 幽霊蜘蛛(ゆうれいぐも) (yūreigumo): daddy longlegs spider

Etymology 2

Noun

蜘蛛(こっ) • (ko') 

1. (dialect, Kagoshima) spider

Etymology 3

Noun

蜘蛛(こぶ) • (kobu) 

1. (dialect, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, Saga) spider
2. (dialect, Tanegashima) large spider

Etymology 4

Kanji in this term
蜘	蛛
ち Hyōgaiji	ちゅう Hyōgaiji
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese 蜘蛛 (ʈiᴇ ʈɨo). Compare modern Hakka reading tî-tû, Eastern Min tĭ-tṳ̆, Min Nan ti-tu. Probably borrowed at a different time or from a different dialect than chichu below.

Noun

蜘(ち)蛛(ちゅう) • (chichū) 

1. spider

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 蜘蛛(ちちゅう)の網(あみ) (chichū no ami): spiderweb

Etymology 5

Kanji in this term
蜘	蛛
ち Hyōgaiji	ちゅ Hyōgaiji
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese 蜘蛛 (ʈiᴇ ʈɨo). Compare modern Hakka reading tî-tû, Eastern Min tĭ-tṳ̆, Min Nan ti-tu. Probably borrowed at a different time or from a different dialect than chichū above.

Noun

蜘(ち)蛛(ちゅ) • (chichu) 

1. spider

Etymology 6

Kanji in this term
蜘	蛛
ち Hyōgaiji	しゅ Hyōgaiji
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese 蜘蛛 (ʈiᴇ ʈɨo). This reading is the kan'yōyomi, and is thus a later phonetic shift after borrowing.

Noun

蜘(ち)蛛(しゅ) • (chishu) 

1. spider

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 蜘蛛膜(ちしゅまく) (chishumaku): the arachnoid

References

• “こっ【蜘蛛】” in JLect - Japonic Languages and Dialects Database Dictionary, 2019.
• “こぶ【蜘蛛】” in JLect - Japonic Languages and Dialects Database Dictionary, 2019.
• “こぶ【蜘蛛】” in JLect - Japonic Languages and Dialects Database Dictionary, 2019.

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Korean

Hanja in this term
蜘	蛛

Noun

蜘蛛 • (jiju) (hangeul 지주)

1. Hanja form^? of 지주 (“spider”).

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Okinawan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kuːbaː]

Noun

蜘蛛(くーばー) (kūbā) 

1. spider

References

• “くーばー【蜘蛛】” in JLect - Japonic Languages and Dialects Database Dictionary, 2019.
• “クーバー” in Okinawa Center of Language Study, Shuri-Naha Dialect Dictionary (archived; reopens 2024).

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Southern Amami-Oshima

Noun

蜘蛛 (hiragana こぶ, rōmaji kobu)

1. spider

References

• “こぶ【蜘蛛】” in JLect - Japonic Languages and Dialects Database Dictionary, 2019.

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Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
蜘	蛛

Noun

蜘蛛

1. chữ Hán form of tri chu.

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Yonaguni

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kubu/

Noun

蜘蛛 (hiragana くぶ, rōmaji kubu)

1. spider

References

• “くぶ【蜘蛛】” in JLect - Japonic Languages and Dialects Database Dictionary, 2019.