# 螺

| 螺 | U+87BA, &#34746; CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-87BA |
| ← 螹 [U+87B9] | CJK Unified Ideographs | 螻 → [U+87BB] |
| 螺 | U+F911, &#63761; CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-F911 |
| ← 蘿 [U+F910] | CJK Compatibility Ideographs | 裸 → [U+F912] |

## Translingual
### Han character

螺 (Kangxi radical 142, 虫+11, 17 strokes, cangjie input 中戈田女火 (LIWVF), four-corner 5619$_3$, composition ⿰虫⿱田糸)

#### References

* Kangxi Dictionary: page 1095, character 12
* Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 33512
* Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2885, character 5
* Unihan data for U+87BA
* Unihan data for U+F911

## Chinese
### Glyph origin

| | Old Chinese |
| 摞 | *roːl, *roːls |
| 騾 | *roːl |
| 螺 | *roːl |
| 蔂 | *roːl, *rul |
| 虆 | *roːl, *rul |
| 瘰 | *roːlʔ |
| 礌 | *ruːl, *ruːls |
| 雷 | *ruːl |
| 擂 | *ruːl, *ruːls |
| 攂 | *ruːl, *ruːls |
| 礧 | *ruːll, *ruːlʔ, *ruːls |
| 儡 | *ruːl, *ruːlʔ, *ruːls |
| 瓃 | *ruːl, *rul, *ruls |
| 櫑 | *ruːl, *ruːlʔ |
| 鑘 | *ruːl, *ruːlʔ |
| 鐳 | *ruːl |
| 畾 | *ruːl |
| 轠 | *ruːl, *rulʔ |
| 罍 | *ruːl |
| 蕾 | *ruːlʔ |
| 癗 | *ruːlʔ |
| 磥 | *ruːlʔ |
| 累 | *ruːls, *rolʔ, *rols |
| 儽 | *ruːls, *rul |
| 樏 | *rolʔ, *rul |
| 鸓 | *rul, *rulʔ |
| 嫘 | *rul |
| 纍 | *rul, *ruls |
| 欙 | *rul |
| 纝 | *rul |
| 壘 | *rulʔ |
| 櫐 | *rulʔ |
| 蘽 | *rulʔ |
| 藟 | *rulʔ |
| 讄 | *rulʔ |
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *roːl): semantic 虫 + phonetic 累 (OC *ruːls, *rolʔ, *rols).

### Etymology

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *kroj (“shellfish, shell”). From the same root derives 蝸 (OC *kroːl, *kʷroːl, “terrestrial snail”).

### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): luó (luo$^2$)
    (Zhuyin): ㄌㄨㄛˊ
* Cantonese (Jyutping): lo$^4$ / lo$^{4-2}$
* Hakka
    (Sixian, PFS): lò
    (Hailu, HRS): lo
    (Meixian, Guangdong): lo$^2$
* Eastern Min (BUC): lòi
* Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): loe$^2$ / lue$^2$ / lui$^2$
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): lê / lêr / lô / lô͘
    (Teochew, Peng'im): lo$^5$ / lo$^1$
* Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): $^6$lu
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: luó
*** Zhuyin: ㄌㄨㄛˊ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: luó
*** Wade–Giles: lo$^2$
*** Yale: lwó
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: luo
*** Palladius: ло (lo)
*** Sinological IPA : /lu̯ɔ³⁵/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: lo$^4$ / lo$^{4-2}$
*** Yale: lòh / ló
*** Cantonese Pinyin: lo$^4$ / lo$^{4-2}$
*** Guangdong Romanization: lo$^4$ / lo$^{4-2}$
*** Sinological IPA : /lɔː²¹/, /lɔː²¹⁻³⁵/
* Hakka
** (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: lò
*** Hakka Romanization System: lo$^ˇ$
*** Hagfa Pinyim: lo$^2$
*** Sinological IPA: /lo¹¹/
** (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
*** Hakka Romanization System: lo
*** Sinological IPA: /lo⁵⁵/
** (Meixian)
*** Guangdong: lo$^2$
*** Sinological IPA: /lo¹¹/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: lòi
*** Sinological IPA : /l̃øy⁵³/
* Puxian Min
** (Putian, Xianyou)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: loe$^2$
*** Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: lé̤
*** Sinological IPA : /lø¹³/
** (Putian)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: lue$^2$
*** Sinological IPA : /luei¹³/
** (Putian, Xianyou)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: lui$^2$
*** Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: lúi
*** Sinological IPA : /lui¹³/
* loe2 - vernacular;
* lue2 - literary (as in 螺紋);
* lui2 - used in toponym 螺洲.
* Middle Chinese: lwa
Rime :
| Character | 螺 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Initial (聲) | 來 (37) |
| Final (韻) | 戈 (95) |
| Tone (調) | Level (Ø) |
| Openness (開合) | Closed |
| Division (等) | I |
| Fanqie | 落戈切 |
| Baxter | lwa |
| Reconstructions ||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /luɑ/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /luɑ/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /luɑ/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /lwa/ |
| Li Rong | /luɑ/ |
| Wang Li | /luɑ/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /luɑ/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | luó |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | lo$^4$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*k.rˤoj/
    (Zhengzhang): /*roːl/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 螺 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | luó |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ lwa › |
| Old Chinese | /*k.rˁoj/ |
| English | spiral, snail |
| Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary. ||
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 螺 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| No. | 7701 |
| Phonetic component | 畾 |
| Rime group | 歌 |
| Rime subdivision | 3 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 𩼊 |
| Old Chinese | /*roːl/ |
| Notes | 見論衡說文作蠃 |

### Definitions

螺
* aquatic snail (as opposed to a terrestrial snail, 蝸 / 蜗 (wō))
* whorl; swirl; spiral
* fingerprint whorls
* (organic chemistry) spiro-
    螺內酯／螺内酯 ― luónèizhǐ ― spironolactone
* (transgender slang) Short for 螺內酯／螺内酯 (luónèizhǐ, “spironolactone”); spiro
* (historical) wine cup made from a snail shell
* (historical) ink; pigment (green-black in color, produced from the snail, and used by women for drawing eyebrows)
* Short for 螺髻 (“hair done up in a coil shape”).

#### See also

* (spiro): 補／补 (bǔ, “E”), 色 (sè, “cypro”)

### Compounds

* 吃螺絲 / 吃螺丝 (chī luósī)
* 吹法螺
* 大吹法螺 (dàchuīfǎluó)
* 大法螺
* 天狗螺
* 峨螺 (éluó)
* 指螺
* 旋螺
* 木螺釘 / 木螺钉
* 泡螺
* 法螺 (fǎluó)
* 海螺 (hǎiluó)
* 玉螺
* 瑪瑙螺 / 玛瑙螺 (mǎnǎo luó)
* 田螺 (tiánluó)
* 白螺 (Báiluó)
* 碧螺春 (bìluóchūn)
* 竹陀螺
* 筍螺 / 笋螺
* 篷螺 (péngluó)
* 紅螺 / 红螺
* 蝸螺 / 蜗螺
* 螺內酯 / 螺内酯 (luónèizhǐ)
* 螺子墨
* 螺子黛
* 螺山 (Luóshān)
* 螺帽 (luómào)
* 螺旋 (luóxuán)
* 螺旋槳 / 螺旋桨 (luóxuánjiǎng)
* 螺旋狀 / 螺旋状
* 螺旋菌
* 螺旋體 / 螺旋体 (luóxuántǐ)
* 螺杯
* 螺栓 (luóshuān)
* 螺模
* 螺槳 / 螺桨
* 螺槳船 / 螺桨船
* 螺母 (luómǔ)
* 螺溪石硯 / 螺溪石砚
* 螺溪硯 / 螺溪砚
* 螺烷
* 螺紋 / 螺纹 (luówén)
* 螺紋鑽 / 螺纹钻
* 螺絲 / 螺丝 (luósī)
* 螺絲刀 / 螺丝刀 (luósīdāo)
* 螺絲崗 / 螺丝岗
* 螺絲帽 / 螺丝帽 (luósīmào)
* 螺絲扣 / 螺丝扣
* 螺絲攻 / 螺丝攻
* 螺絲模 / 螺丝模
* 螺絲母 / 螺丝母 (luósīmǔ)
* 螺絲起子 / 螺丝起子 (luósī qǐzi)
* 螺絲釘 / 螺丝钉 (luósīdīng)
* 螺絲髻 / 螺丝髻
* 螺線圈 / 螺线圈
* 螺號 / 螺号 (luóhào)
* 螺螄 / 螺蛳 (luósī)
* 螺螄轉兒 / 螺蛳转儿
* 螺貝 / 螺贝 (luóbèi)
* 螺距 (luójù)
* 螺釘 / 螺钉 (luódīng)
* 螺鈿 / 螺钿 (luódiàn)
* 螺階 / 螺阶
* 螺青
* 螺髻
* 螺墨
* 螺黛
* 蠑螺 / 蝾螺
* 裹螺螄 / 裹螺蛳
* 西螺 (Xīluó)
* 西螺鎮 / 西螺镇
* 鈿螺 / 钿螺
* 陀螺 (tuóluó)
* 霆水螺 (tân-chúi-lê) (Min Nan)
* 青螺
* 骨螺
* 鮑螺 / 鲍螺
* 鸚鵡螺 / 鹦鹉螺 (yīngwǔluó)
* 黛螺

### References

* “螺”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
* “螺”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.
* 李如龙 [Li, Ru-long], 刘福铸 [Liu, Fu-zhu], 吴华英 [Wu, Hua-ying], 黄国城 [Huang, Guo-cheng] (2019) “螺”, in 莆仙方言调查报告 [Investigation Report on Puxian Dialect] (overall work in Mandarin and Puxian Min), Xiamen University Press, →ISBN, page 128.

## Japanese
### Kanji

(Jinmeiyō kanji)
* spiral-shaped shellfish

#### Readings

* Go-on: ら (ra)
* Kan-on: ら (ra)
* Kun: つぶ (tsubu, 螺)、つび (tsubi, 螺)、つみ (tsumi, 螺)、にし (nishi, 螺)、にな (nina, 螺)

### Etymology 1

* Kanji in this term
* 螺
* ら Jinmeiyō
* on'yomi
From Middle Chinese 螺 (lwa, “conch; spiral”).

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) ら [ráꜜ] (Atamadaka –)
* IPA: [ɾa̠]

#### Noun

螺(ら) • (ra)
* any shellfish with a spiral shell

##### Usage notes

In compounds, may lend meanings of either shell or spiral.

##### Derived terms

* 螺階(らかい) (rakai): a spiral staircase
* 螺子(らし) (rashi): a screw (more commonly read as neji)
* 螺旋(らせん) (rasen): a spiral
* 螺鈿(らでん) (raden): mother of pearl
* 螺杯(らはい) (rahai), 螺盃(らはい) (rahai): a drinking cup made from the shell of a Turbo marmoratus or green turban snail
* 螺髪(らほつ) (rahotsu): one of the thirty-two different appearances of Buddha, shown in statuary with a hairstyle consisting of knobby spirals of hair
* 螺髻(らけい) (rakei): a hairstyle with the hair wrapped up in a spiral bun similar in shape to a conch shell; a high, verdant mountain

### Etymology 2

* Kanji in this term
* 螺
* つび Jinmeiyō
* kun'yomi
From Old Japanese. Cognate with 粒 (tsubu, “grain; granule, little roundish bit of something”). May have originally been the standalone form; compare 神 (kamu, bound form, only used in compounds) and 神 (kami, standalone form).

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [t͡sɨbʲi]

#### Noun

螺(つび) • (tsubi)
* (obsolete) spiral shellfish, especially smaller ones
* (obsolete) Synonym of 蛤 (hamaguri, “clam”)

### Etymology 3

* Kanji in this term
* 螺
* つぶ Jinmeiyō
* kun'yomi
From Old Japanese. Cognate with 粒 (tsubu, “grain; granule, little roundish bit of something”). May have originally been the combining form; compare 神 (kamu, bound form, only used in compounds) and 神 (kami, standalone form).

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) つぶ [tsúꜜbù] (Atamadaka –)
* IPA: [t͡sɨbɯ̟]

#### Noun

螺(つぶ) • (tsubu)
* spiral shellfish, especially smaller ones
* edible marine whelks of family Buccinidae
* Synonym of 田螺 (tanishi, “river snails of family Viviparidae”)

##### Derived terms

* 螺貝(つぶがい) (tsubugai): whelks and other spiral shellfish

### Etymology 4

* Kanji in this term
* 螺
* つみ Jinmeiyō
* kun'yomi
/t͡subi/ → /t͡sumi/
Shift in pronunciation from tsubi above.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [t͡sɨmʲi]

#### Noun

螺(つみ) • (tsumi)
* (obsolete) spiral shellfish, especially smaller ones

### Etymology 5

* Kanji in this term
* 螺
* にし Jinmeiyō
* kun'yomi
* Alternative spelling
* 辛螺
From Old Japanese. Previously referred to any shellfish with a spiral shell (see ra above). Now refers more specifically to certain spiral shellfish. More common in compounds.

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) にし [níꜜshì] (Atamadaka –)
* IPA: [ɲ̟iɕi]

#### Noun

螺(にし) • (nishi)
* (rare) certain shellfish with a spiral shell

##### Synonyms

* 蜷(にな) (nina), 河貝子(にな) (nina)

##### Derived terms

* 螺肴(にしざかな) (nishizakana): a side dish served at New Years celebrations, made from boiled or stewed 田螺 (tanishi, “river snails of family Viviparidae”)
* 赤螺(あかにし) (akanishi): Rapana venosa, the veined rapa whelk
* 田螺(たにし) (tanishi): river snails of family Viviparidae
* 長螺(ながにし) (naganishi): tulip snails or spindle snails, marine snails of family Fasciolariidae
* 丸田螺(まるたにし) (marutanishi): Bellamya chinensis or Cipangopaludina chinensis, the Chinese mystery snail, black snail, or trapdoor snail

### Etymology 6

* Kanji in this term
* 螺
* にな Jinmeiyō
* kun'yomi
* Alternative spelling
* 蜷

#### Noun

螺(にな) • (nina)
* Alternative spelling of 蜷 (nina, “Synonym of 川蜷 (kawanina, “melanian snail, Semisulcospira libertina”)”)

### References

* 1 2 3 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
* 1 2 Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN

## Korean
### Etymology

From Middle Chinese 螺 (MC lwa). Recorded as Middle Korean 라 (la) (Yale: la) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

### Hanja

Wikisource 螺 (eumhun 소라 라 (sora ra), word-initial (South Korea) 소라 나 (sora na))
* hanja form of 라/나 (“aquatic snail”)

#### Compounds

* 나사 (螺絲, nasa, “screw”)
* 나선 (螺旋, naseon, “a helix, a spiral”)
* 나선 (螺線, naseon, “spiral”)

### References

* 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

## Vietnamese
### Han character

螺: Hán Nôm readings: loa, loe
* This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.