Semantic boundaries of the Chinese characters with the determinative 虫 "insect"

The composition of the subsystem of derivative complex signs of the character nest with the determinative 虫 "insect" in the Chinese language is analysed in the article. By means of the semantic and etymological analysis, its boundaries are established. Motivational features of inclusion in multi-component signs of the determinative 虫 "insect" are revealed, and the features of sign formation are identified in comparison with similar processes in other languages. The analysis of the components of the character nest with the determinative-zoonym 虫 "insect" showed that the diversity of signs included in it is determined by various motivational features, the leading of which are size and shape. The analysis of the meanings of the derivative signs of the character nest also enabled to identify a number of latent features in the semantics of the determinative-zoonym 虫 "insect", such as an animal, a terrible animal, a worm, a dragon-like creature, small, an invertebrate, no limbs, a tadpole, etc. The combination of these features is the basis for including the designations of various procedural and attributive nominations into a character nest