TSUMUGU · A1 (est.) · 字
蟻
蟻 ＝ 虫 ＋ 義
ㄧˇ · yǐ
noun — ant
字源 FORM — what the parts do
虫義a small crawling creature (the 虫 radical)the bug radical
Tyì → yǐ — the tone shifts
The 虫 radical for the tiny crawler, with 義 yì for the sound, the tone settling to yǐ. The ant lives mostly in 螞蟻; it also fills 蟻群 a colony and 蟻穴 an anthill. The same 義 builds 議、儀.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
一隊小蟲（虫）排著隊搬東西——那是螞蟻。
A line of tiny creatures (虫) filing along carrying loads — those are ants.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)蟻、螞蟻— ant常用
→蟻群、蟻穴— an ant colony; an anthill
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension