Where does “象虫” come from?

象虫 (Japanese) comes from Japanese 象, from Middle Chinese 象, from Old Chinese 象 — elephant.

象虫 (Japanese): a weevil

Definitions

  1. a weevil

Ancestry of “象虫”, step by step

象虫 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese 象

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese象elephant; likeness, appearance
2Middle Chinese象elephant; image, resemblance
3Old Chinese象elephant

via Japanese 虫

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese虫a bug, insect, worm; a serpent, snake; a worm
Every word from Old Chinese 象 →Every word from Middle Chinese 象 →Every word from Japanese 象 →