# 螟蛉
## Chinese

* 螟蛉

### Etymology

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)).

### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): mínglíng
    (Zhuyin): ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄌㄧㄥˊ
* Cantonese (Jyutping): ming$^4$ ling$^4$
* Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): bêng-lêng
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: mínglíng
*** Zhuyin: ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄌㄧㄥˊ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: mínglíng
*** Wade–Giles: ming$^2$-ling$^2$
*** Yale: míng-líng
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: mingling
*** Palladius: минлин (minlin)
*** Sinological IPA : /miŋ³⁵ liŋ³⁵/
*** Homophones: [Show/Hide]$^{edit}$名伶 明靈／明灵 螟蛉
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: ming$^4$ ling$^4$
*** Yale: mìhng lìhng
*** Cantonese Pinyin: ming$^4$ ling$^4$
*** Guangdong Romanization: ming$^4$ ling$^4$
*** Sinological IPA : /mɪŋ²¹ lɪŋ²¹/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bêng-lêng
*** Tâi-lô: bîng-lîng
*** Phofsit Daibuun: bengleeng
*** IPA (Xiamen): /biɪŋ²⁴⁻²² liɪŋ²⁴/
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /biɪŋ²⁴⁻²² liɪŋ²⁴/
*** IPA (Zhangzhou): /biɪŋ¹³⁻²² liɪŋ¹³/
*** IPA (Taipei): /biɪŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ liɪŋ²⁴/
*** IPA (Kaohsiung): /biɪŋ²³⁻³³ liɪŋ²³/
* Middle Chinese: meng leng
Rime :
| Character | 螟 | 蛉 |
| Reading # | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| Initial (聲) | 明 (4) | 來 (37) |
| Final (韻) | 青 (125) | 青 (125) |
| Tone (調) | Level (Ø) | Level (Ø) |
| Openness (開合) | Open | Open |
| Division (等) | IV | IV |
| Fanqie | 莫經切 | 郎丁切 |
| Baxter | meng | leng |
| Reconstructions |||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /meŋ/ | /leŋ/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /meŋ/ | /leŋ/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /mɛŋ/ | /lɛŋ/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /mɛjŋ/ | /lɛjŋ/ |
| Li Rong | /meŋ/ | /leŋ/ |
| Wang Li | /mieŋ/ | /lieŋ/ |
| Bernard Karlgren | /mieŋ/ | /lieŋ/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | míng | líng |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | ming$^4$ | ling$^4$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Zhengzhang): /*meːŋ reːŋ/
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 螟 | 蛉 |
| Reading # | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| No. | 9201 | 8291 |
| Phonetic component | 冥 | 令 |
| Rime group | 耕 | 耕 |
| Rime subdivision | 0 | 0 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 冥 | 靈 |
| Old Chinese | /*meːŋ/ | /*reːŋ/ |

### Noun

螟蛉
* 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)
    From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11th – 7th 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.
    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!
* (literary, figurative) Short for 螟蛉子 (mínglíngzǐ, “adopted son”).

#### Derived terms

* 稻螟蛉
* 螟蛉之子 (mínglíngzhīzǐ)
* 螟蛉仔囝
* 螟蛉子 (mínglíngzǐ)

#### Descendants

* → Japanese: 螟蛉(めいれい) (meirei)
* → Korean: 명령(螟蛉) (myeongnyeong)
Others:
* →? Proto-Tai: *m.leːŋᴬ (“insect”)

## Japanese

Kanji in this term :
| 螟 | 蛉 |
| めい Hyōgai | れい Hyōgai |
| kan'on ||

### Etymology

From Middle Chinese 螟蛉 (MC meng leng).

### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) めーれー [mèéréé] (Heiban – [0])
* IPA: [me̞ːɾe̞ː]

### Noun

螟(めい)蛉(れい) • (meirei)
* Synonym of 青虫 (aomushi): any butterfly or moth larvae that are colored green
* (figurative) Synonym of 養子 (yōshi): an adopted child

### References

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