螟蛉

Reduplicated from *mliŋ according to Li Fang-Kuei apud Schuessler (2007).

While Pittayaporn (2009) proposes that Proto-Tai *m.leːŋᴬ (“insect”) is loaned from either early or late Middle Chinese, Schuessler (2007) proposes the reverse loan-direction: i.e. from Tai into Chinese (see also Li (1976)).

螟蛉

1. green rice caterpillar (Naranga aenescens); (in general) caterpillar of many Lepidoptera species, such as the corn earworm or the small white butterfly (which destroy rice and other plants)

   • 螟蛉有子，蜾蠃負之。教誨爾子，式穀似之。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     螟蛉有子，蜾蠃负之。教诲尔子，式谷似之。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Mínglíng yǒu zǐ, guǒluǒ fù zhī. Jiàohuì ěr zǐ, shìgǔ sì zhī. [Pinyin]

     The mulberry insect has young ones,
     And the sphex carries them away.
     Teach and train your sons,
     And they will become good as you are.

   • 螟蛉之子殪，而逢蜾蠃。祝之曰：「類我，類我。」久則肖之矣！速哉，七十子之肖仲尼也。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     螟蛉之子殪，而逢蜾蠃。祝之曰：「类我，类我。」久则肖之矣！速哉，七十子之肖仲尼也。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

     From: Yang Xiong, Fa Yan (Exemplary Sayings), 9 CE

     Mínglíng zhī zǐ yì, ér féng guǒluǒ. Zhù zhī yuē: “Lèi wǒ, lèi wǒ.” Jiǔ zé xiào zhī yǐ! Sù zāi, qīshí zǐ zhī xiào Zhòngní yě. [Pinyin]

     The dying moth larva encountered the wasp. The wasp snatched it away saying, “Be like me, be like me.”
     After a while, they were alike. How quickly it is, that the seventy disciples became like Confucius!

2. (literary, figurative) short for 螟蛉子 (mínglíngzǐ, “adopted son”)

Others:

• →? Proto-Tai: *m.leːŋᴬ (“insect”)

From Middle Chinese 螟蛉 (MC meng leng).

• (Tokyo) めーれー [mèéréé] (Heiban – [0])^[1]
• IPA^(key): [me̞ːɾe̞ː]

螟(めい)蛉(れい) • (meirei) 

1. synonym of 青虫 (aomushi): any butterfly or moth larvae that are colored green
2. (figurative) synonym of 養子 (yōshi): an adopted child