“嚼蛆”考源

Examination on the Source of “Jiáoqū( 嚼蛆) ”

“嚼蛆”一词活跃于西南官话等多个方言区,各家对其理据历来说法不一。本文爬梳近代白话文献,认为“嚼”有吐出义,而“蛆”在六朝以降就比喻为废话或坏话,“嚼蛆”是由字面义“吐出废话或坏话”,引申用作骂人胡说,瞎说。

The term“Jiáoqū(嚼蛆)”is always used in many dialect regions of southwest mandarin.But scholars have different views on its sources.Through teasing out the modern vernacular literature,this paper believes that“Jiáo(嚼)”has the meaning of spit out and that the“Qū(蛆)”was used as nonsense or bad words since the Six Dynasties.The meaning of“Jiáoqū(嚼蛆)”is extended from its literal meaning of“spitting out the nonsense or bad words”to the meaning of rebuking sb.'s bosh.