蜻蛉

Chinese

		dragonfly
trad. (蜻蛉)		蜻	蛉
simp. ^#(蜻蛉)		蜻	蛉

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): qīnglíng

(Zhuyin): ㄑㄧㄥㄌㄧㄥˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): cing¹ ling⁴

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: qīnglíng
  - Zhuyin: ㄑㄧㄥㄌㄧㄥˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: cinglíng
  - Wade–Giles: chʻing¹-ling²
  - Yale: chīng-líng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chingling
  - Palladius: цинлин (cinlin)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰiŋ⁵⁵ liŋ³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: cing¹ ling⁴
  - Yale: chīng lìhng
  - Cantonese Pinyin: tsing¹ ling⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: qing¹ ling⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɪŋ⁵⁵ lɪŋ²¹/

Middle Chinese: tsheng leng

Rime
Character	蜻	蛉
Reading #	2/2	1/1
Initial (聲)	清 (14)	來 (37)
Final (韻)	青 (125)	青 (125)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	IV	IV
Fanqie	倉經切	郎丁切
Baxter	tsheng	leng
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/t͡sʰeŋ/	/leŋ/
Pan Wuyun	/t͡sʰeŋ/	/leŋ/
Shao Rongfen	/t͡sʰɛŋ/	/lɛŋ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/t͡sʰɛjŋ/	/lɛjŋ/
Li Rong	/t͡sʰeŋ/	/leŋ/
Wang Li	/t͡sʰieŋ/	/lieŋ/
Bernhard Karlgren	/t͡sʰieŋ/	/lieŋ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	qīng	líng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	cing¹	ling⁴

Noun

蜻蛉

(literary) dragonfly

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 蜻蜓 (“dragonfly”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		蜻, 蜻蜓, 蜻蛉, 虰蛵
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		蜻蜓
Taxonomic name		蜻蜓
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	螞螂, 老琉璃, 琉璃, 蜻蜓
	Taiwan	蜻蜓
	Langfang	螞螂
	Hulunbuir (Hailar)	螞螂兒
	Harbin	蜻蜓, 螞螂
	Shenyang	螞螂
	Singapore	蜻蜓
Jilu Mandarin	Tianjin	老褐, 老蜓
	Tangshan	螞螂
	Cangzhou	螞螂
	Baoding	螞螂
	Shijiazhuang	螞螂兒
	Jinan	蜻蜓
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Yantai (Muping)	蜻蜓兒, 老老擔兒
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Qingdao	蜻蜓
Central Plains Mandarin	Luoyang	虰虰
	Daming	抨抨砣
	Wanrong	棒槌
	Zhengzhou	虰虰, 麥虰虰
	Xi'an	螞螂
	Xining	蜻蜓
	Xuzhou	光光蜓
	Pizhou	光光蜓
	Lianyungang (Ganyu)	老官, 官蜓蜓
	Donghai	官蜻蜓
Lanyin Mandarin	Yinchuan	老虎招招
	Lanzhou	春官
	Ürümqi	蜻蜓
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	虰虰貓兒, 蜻蜓
	Wuhan	虰虰
	Guiyang	蜻蜓
	Kunming	蜻蜓
	Guilin	蜻蜓
	Guanyang	咩咩蛘
	Pingle	咩咩蛘
	Liuzhou	塘咩, 蜻蜓
	Luzhai	蜻蜓
	Tianlin (Langping)	沙蛘
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	蜻蜻, 蜻蜓
	Yangzhou	蜻蜻子
	Baoying	蜻蜻子
	Taizhou	蜻蜓兒
	Zhenjiang	蜻蜻兒
	Lianyungang	蜻蜻
	Huai'an (Huaiyin)	馬蜻蜻
	Xuyi	蜻蜻
	Nantong	蜻虰, 蜻蛉兒
	Rugao	蜻蛉兒
	Yancheng	鮮鮮
	Funing	蜻蜻
	Sihong	馬蜻蜻
	Hefei	蜻蜻, 蜻蜻子
	Huanggang	蜻雀兒
Mandarin	Fuzhou (Qinjiang, Changle)	螞螂
Cantonese	Guangzhou	塘尾
	Hong Kong	蜻蜓, 塘尾
	Hong Kong (San Tin; Weitou)	囊蜊
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou)	囊蜺
	Hong Kong (Ting Kok)	囊蜊
	Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau)	囊蜊
	Macau	塘尾
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	塘尾
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	揚尾
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	囊泥
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	囊蜊
	Foshan	塘尾
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	塘尾
	Foshan (Shunde)	塘蜊
	Foshan (Sanshui)	塘尾
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	塘尾
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	塘尾
	Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou)	蟲尾
	Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka)	塘尾
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	囊蜺
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	郎里
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	囊蜺
	Taishan	黃尾
	Kaiping (Chikan)	黃蜺
	Enping (Niujiang)	禾狸
	Heshan (Yayao)	娘迷
	Dongguan	䗧蛜
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	塘泥
	Shenzhen (Dapeng)	蜋蜺
	Qingyuan	黃尾池
	Fogang	囊泥
	Yingde (Hanguang)	楊眉池
	Lianzhou (Qingshui; Sihui)	蜻蜓
	Shaoguan	塘蜊
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	蜋尾
	Renhua	羅尾仔
	Lechang	塘尾, 後尾
	Zhaoqing (Gaoyao)	塘尾
	Sihui	落尼
	Guangning	塘尼
	Deqing	塘尼
	Huaiji	蜋蜊
	Yunfu	塘尾
	Xinxing	塘尾
	Luoding	塘尼
	Yangjiang	朋蜺
	Xinyi	癩痢
	Maoming (Xinpo)	囊呢
	Nanning	塘咩
	Wuzhou	塘蜺
	Yulin	塘蜺
	Hepu (Lianzhou)	蜻蜓
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	塘尾
	Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu)	塘尾
Gan	Nanchang	虰虰, 蜻蜓
	Lichuan	港雞
	Pingxiang	揚尾
Hakka	Meixian	囊蜺仔, 囊蜺, 囊尾
	Xingning	黃咪哩
	Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua)	囊蜺
	Huiyang	黃蜺仔, 黃蜺
	Huidong (Daling)	黃蜺仔
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	黃蜺
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	黃蜺
	Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)	黃蜺
	Wuhua (Huacheng)	黃尾哩, 娘尾哩
	Wuhua (Meilin)	囊蜺哩
	Heyuan (Bendihua)	囊蜺
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	龍蟻子
	Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang)	囊蜺
	Liannan	囊蜺
	Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua)	囊蜺
	Jiexi	囊蜺
	Changting	挪尾
	Wuping	羊必子
	Wuping (Pingyu)	揚尾子
	Liancheng	蒙里
	Ninghua	管胚
	Yudu	塘尾
	Ruijin	囊蟻子
	Shicheng	康雞
	Shangyou (Shexi)	塘子
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	揚尾仔
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	揚尾仔
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	囊蜺仔, 揚尾仔
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	揚尾
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	囊蜺仔
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	蛘蜺
	Hong Kong	黃蜺
	Luchuan	螗蜊
	Sabah (Longchuan)	囊蜺
	Senai (Huiyang)	囊蜺
Huizhou	Jixi	蜓蜓
Jin	Taiyuan	兒蜻
	Pingyao	水師婆
	Xinzhou	河蟢蟢
	Hohhot	蜻蜓
	Zhangjiakou	水池牌兒
	Handan	水蜓蜓
Northern Min	Jian'ou	刊魁
	Songxi	紅魁仔
	Zhenghe	狐狸仔
	Jianyang	刊魁仔, 刊魁
	Wuyishan	刊魁
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	螞蝴
	Fuzhou (Changle)	蜻胲
	Fuqing	茶茶娘
	Yongtai	蜻胲
	Gutian	蜻𧉪
	Fu'an	蜻𧉪
	Ningde	蜻𧉪娘
	Shouning	蜻𧉪
	Zhouning	蜻𧉪
	Fuding	蜻𧉪
	Matsu	螞蝴
Southern Min	Xiamen	田嬰
	Xiamen (Heshan)	𧌄嬰
	Quanzhou	田嬰
	Jinjiang	田嬰, 山蜊
	Anxi	含嬰
	Yongchun	田嬰
	Dehua	田嬰
	Zhangzhou	田嬰
	Zhangzhou (Longhai)	田嬰
	Zhangzhou (Changtai)	蜻咩
	Pinghe	田嬰
	Zhangpu	田嬰
	Zhao'an	山咩
	Zhao'an (Sidu)	山咩
	Zhao'an (Tingyang, Baiyang)	蝪蚭
	Zhao'an (Wenshan, Taiping)	蝪蚭
	Dongshan	田嬰, 山咩 rural
	Taipei	𧌄嬰
	New Taipei (Tamsui)	𧌄嬰
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	田嬰
	New Taipei (Pingxi)	田嬰
	Kaohsiung	田嬰
	Kaohsiung (Cijin)	田嬰
	Kaohsiung (Hongmaogang, Siaogang)	田嬰
	Kaohsiung (Dalinpu, Siaogang)	田嬰
	Kaohsiung (Tianliao)	田嬰
	Yilan	田嬰
	Yilan (Luodong)	田嬰
	Yilan (Toucheng)	田嬰
	Changhua (Lukang)	田嬰
	Changhua (Yongjing)	田嬰
	Taichung	田嬰
	Taichung (Wuqi)	田嬰
	Tainan	田嬰
	Tainan (Anping)	田嬰
	Taitung	田嬰
	Hsinchu	田嬰
	Pingtung (Baoli, Checheng)	田嬰
	Kinmen	田嬰
	Penghu (Magong)	田嬰
	Penghu (Xiyu)	田嬰
	Singapore (Hokkien)	田嬰
	Manila (Hokkien)	田嬰, 山蜊
	Longyan	羅離
	Zhangping	臭尼
	Zhangping (Yongfu)	新嬰
	Datian	翼嬰
	Chaozhou	𬠋𧌊
	Raoping	𬠋𧌊
	Shantou	𬠋𧌊
	Shantou (Chenghai)	𬠋𧌊
	Nan'ao (Houzhai)	𬠋𧌊
	Nan'ao (Yun'ao)	𬠋𧌊
	Jieyang	𬠋𧌊
	Haifeng	𬠋𧌊
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	𬠋𧌊
	Singapore (Teochew)	𬠋𧌊
	Leizhou	蛅蛉
	Wenchang	雙枒, 雙夏, 雙翼
	Haikou	蜻蜓
	Qionghai	雙枒, 雙翼
Puxian Min	Putian	千咪叉, 千咪蝦, 千咪
	Putian (Jiangkou, Hanjiang)	交蝦蜱
	Putian (Nanri, Xiuyu)	沖蜱
	Xianyou	八赤蝦, 八里蝦
	Xianyou (Fengting)	田蜱蝦
	Xianyou (Youyang)	田蜱
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi)	木魚
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Sanxiang)	蛜嬰
Wu	Shanghai	蜻蜓, 蜻蜓
	Shanghai (Chongming)	新人
	Suzhou	蜻蜓
	Wuxi	蜻蜓, 虰蜻
	Changshu	蜻蜓
	Nantong (Haimen)	蜻蜓
	Changzhou	蜻蜓
	Danyang	蜻蜓, 蜻蜓蜓, 蜓
	Nanjing (Zhongbao, Gaochun)	麻杠杠
	Hangzhou	蜻蜓
	Ningbo	蜻蜓
	Wenzhou	蜻蜓
	Jinhua	蜻蜓
Xiang	Changsha	洋咪咪
	Xiangtan	洋眯眯
	Loudi	洋咪咪
	Shuangfeng	洋洋蠛, 洋媽蠛
	Hengyang	洋咪咪

Derived terms

竹蜻蛉
草蜻蛉

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (蜻蛉):

→ Japanese: 蜻蛉(せいれい) (seirei)
→ Korean: 청령(蜻蛉) (cheongnyeong)

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
蜻	蛉
とんぼ
Hyōgai	Hyōgai
jukujikun

Alternative spelling
蜻蜓

/toɴboː/ → /toɴbo/

Shift from earlier tonbō, shortening the final vowel.^[1] Now the most common reading of this term.

The kanji are jukujikun (熟字訓), from Chinese 蜻蛉 (qīnglíng).

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) とんぼ [tòńbó] (Heiban – [0])^[2]^[3]
IPA^(key): [tõ̞mbo̞]

Noun

蜻蛉(とんぼ) or 蜻蛉(トンボ) • (tonbo)

dragonfly
Synonym: (Tsugaru) だんぶり (danburi)
トンボ: (construction) concrete rake

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 トンボ (tonbo).

Derived terms

蜻蛉草(トンボソウ) (tonbosō)
竹(たけ)蜻(とん)蛉(ぼ) (take tonbo): a bamboo dragonfly/bamboo-copter; a toy.
黄(き)蜻(とん)蛉(ぼ) (ki tonbo): a yellow darter (Sympetrum croceolum)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
蜻	蛉
とんぼう
Hyōgai	Hyōgai
jukujikun

/toubau/ → /toːbɔː/ → /toɴbɔː/ → /toɴboː/

Shift from earlier tōbō.^[4] Appears in the 康頼本草 (Yasuyori Honzō) of 995 CE.

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) とんぼー [tòńbóó] (Heiban – [0])^[3]
IPA^(key): [tõ̞mbo̞ː]

Noun

蜻蛉(とんぼう) or 蜻蛉(トンボー) • (tonbō) ^{←とんばう (tonbau)^?}

dragonfly

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
蜻	蛉
とうぼう
Hyōgai	Hyōgai
jukujikun

/toubau/ → /toːbɔː/ → /toːboː/

Derivation unknown.^[4] Some theories include:

Originally a compound of 飛ぶ (tobu, “to fly; flying”) + 棒 (bō, “stick, pole”, ancient reading bau).^[5] However, this combines a native Japanese etymon with a Chinese borrowing, and the term appears early in the historical record, when such compounds were not common.^[6]
Originally a compound of 飛ぶ (tobu, “to fly; flying”) + 羽 (ha, “wing”, ancient reading pa) + uncertain element う (u).^[5] While more likely in terms of historical trends, this leaves the final element unexplained.^[6]

This reading appears to have been superseded by tonbō and tonbo.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [to̞ːbo̞ː]

Noun

蜻蛉(とうぼう) or 蜻蛉(トウボウ) • (tōbō) ^{←とうばう (toubau)^?}

(archaic, possibly obsolete) dragonfly

Etymology 4

Kanji in this term
蜻	蛉
せい Hyōgai	れい Hyōgai
kan'on

From Middle Chinese 蜻蛉 (MC tsjeng leng).

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) せーれー [sèéréé] (Heiban – [0])^[3]
IPA^(key): [se̞ːɾe̞ː]

Noun

蜻(せい)蛉(れい) or 蜻蛉(セイレイ) • (seirei)

dragonfly

Etymology 5

Kanji in this term
蜻	蛉
えんば
Hyōgai	Hyōgai
irregular

Attested in the late 18th century.^[4]

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

Noun

蜻蛉(えんば) or 蜻蛉(エンバ) • (enba) ^{←ゑんば (wenba)^?}

(archaic) dragonfly

Etymology 6

Kanji in this term
蜻	蛉
あきつ
Hyōgai	Hyōgai
irregular

Kanji in this term
蜻	蛉
あきず
Hyōgai	Hyōgai
irregular

For pronunciation and definitions of 蜻蛉 – see the following entry.

【秋津あきず】

[noun] (archaic) dragonfly

Alternative spelling
アキズ

【秋津あきつ】

[noun] (archaic, since the Heian period) dragonfly

[proper noun] a railway station in Higashimurayama, Tokyo

[proper noun] a shrine in Higashimurayama, Tokyo

[proper noun] name of several towns in Japan

[proper noun] Akitsu (a town in Higashimurayama, Tokyo prefecture, Japan)

[proper noun] Akitsu (a town in Meitoku district, Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan)

[proper noun] Akitsu (a town in Higashi district, Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan) [1954–]

[proper noun] name of several villages in Japan

[proper noun] a surname

Alternative spelling
アキツ

(This term, 蜻蛉, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Etymology 7

Kanji in this term
蜻	蛉
かぎろう
Hyōgai	Hyōgai
irregular

Kanji in this term
蜻	蛉
かげろう
Hyōgai	Hyōgai
irregular

For pronunciation and definitions of 蜻蛉 – see the following entry.

【蜉蝣かげろう】	[noun] a mayfly [noun] (obsolete) synonym of 蜻蛉 (tonbo, “dragonfly”) Alternative spelling カゲロウ
【蜉蝣かぎろう】	[noun] (obsolete) synonym of 蜻蛉 (tonbo, “dragonfly”)

(This term, 蜻蛉, is an alternative spelling (obsolete) of the above term.)

References

^ “蜻蛉・蜻蜓”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎^[1] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 “蜻蛉”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎^[2] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 “トンボ・蜻蛉”, in 日本辞典 (Nihon Jiten, “Japan Dictionary”) (in Japanese), 2007–2017.
↑ ^6.0 ^6.1 “トンボ／蜻蛉／とんぼ”, in 語源由来辞典 (Gogen Yurai Jiten, “Etymology Derivation Dictionary”) (in Japanese), 2003–2025.

[1] “蜻蛉・蜻蜓”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎^[1] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006

[NHK-2] NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

[DJR-3] 3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[NKD-4] 4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 “蜻蛉”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎^[2] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006

[NJ-5] 5.0 ^5.1 “トンボ・蜻蛉”, in 日本辞典 (Nihon Jiten, “Japan Dictionary”) (in Japanese), 2007–2017.

[GYJ-6] 6.0 ^6.1 “トンボ／蜻蛉／とんぼ”, in 語源由来辞典 (Gogen Yurai Jiten, “Etymology Derivation Dictionary”) (in Japanese), 2003–2025.

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[2]

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