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
Print standard	蟬

Kanji

蝉

(Hyōgai kanji, shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai form 蟬)

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

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 Hyōgai
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])^[1]^[2]^[3]
IPA^(key): [se̞mʲi]

Noun

蝉(せみ) or 蝉(セミ) • (semi)

generic name for a cicada (any of several insects of the order Hemiptera); locust (chiefly US)
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?)
a small pulley used to raise objects to high places
(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

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”)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
蝉
せび Hyōgai
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)

synonym of 蝉 (semi, “cicada”)

References

^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
^ 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
^ Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[DJR-1] Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[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

[SMK5-3] Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

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