TSUMUGU · TOCFL 2 (est.) · 字
蛇
蛇 ＝ 虫 ＋ 它
ㄕㄜˊ · shé
noun — snake, serpent
字源 FORM — what the parts do
虫義a crawling creature (the 虫 radical)the bug radical — once a coiled snake itself
IFtā → shé — the reading shifts
The crawling-creature radical (虫) beside 它, which was itself the first picture of a snake, a long body and tail. 它 now lends mainly the sound, drifting to shé, while 虫 marks the kind. From the serpent: 蛇, 蟒蛇, and the venomous heart of 蛇蠍心腸.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
一條長身（它）的爬蟲（虫）——盤起來，那是蛇。
A long-bodied (它) crawling thing (虫), coiled up — that is the snake.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)蛇— snake常用
→蛇蠍心腸— a venomous heart
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension