峨眉
Chinese
| lofty; name of a mountain | eyebrow; upper margin | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| trad. (峨眉) | 峨 | 眉 | |
| simp. #(峨眉) | 峨 | 眉 | |
| alternative forms | 峨嵋 峩嵋 | ||
峨眉。
note how the feelers of this moth resemble the peaks of Mount Emei (pictured above)
Etymology
峨眉 derives from the word 蛾眉 (“the feathery feelers of a moth”), so named because the peaks of Mount Emei do in fact resemble the feelers of a moth (see pictures). The "insect" radical (虫) on the left side of the first character 蛾 was later replaced with the "mountain" radical (山). Thus, 蛾 eventually became 峨, so as to denote the mountain. Occasionally, the radical is placed on top: 峩. The "mountain" radical can be optionally added to the second character 眉. Both 峨嵋 and 峨眉 have been used through the centuries.
Pronunciation
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