田嬰

Possibly from 蜻蛉 (MC tsheng leng) or its variants. The rime of 蜻 occasionally has the reflex -an, cf. 零 (MC leng) (Hokkien lân), 星 (MC seng) (Hokkien san), 瓶 (MC beng) (Hokkien pân), and the rime of 蛉 regularly has the reflex -iⁿ/-eⁿ, cf. 青 (MC tsheng) (Hokkien chhiⁿ/chheⁿ), 星 (MC seng) (Hokkien chhiⁿ/chheⁿ), 暝 (MC meng) (Hokkien mî/mê). However, this may not explain why the two syllables, which share the same rime, have different reflexes.

Alternatively, Iwata (2012, 2024) proposes that it may be a form resulting from contact of the southern dialectal form 䗧𧉅 with 蜻蜓 (MC tsheng deng).

If either of the above etymologies are right, association with 田 (chhân, “field”) would be due to folk etymology, associating dragonflies with a location where they may appear (Iwata, 2012, 2024).

田嬰

1. (Hokkien) dragonfly (Classifier: 隻／只 mn)
   • 1935, 宋文和, editor, 《破天羅地網陣戶蠅蚊仔大戰歌 上本》‎^[1], Chiayi: 捷發漢書部:

     蚊仔去起伊田嬰　田嬰出戰夯大旗　田嬰即共伊廣起　我去有死總無生 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
     蚊仔去起伊田婴　田婴出战夯大旗　田婴即共伊广起　我去有死总无生 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]

     báng-á khì khí i chhân-iⁿ, chhân-iⁿ chhut-chiàn giâ tōa kî, chhân-iⁿ chiah kā i kóng khí, góa khì ū sí chóng bô siⁿ [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2016, “有什麼比你閣卡重要”, in 郭之儀 (lyrics), 鄭喬安 (music), 思念的歌‎^[2], performed by 曹雅雯 [Olivia Tsao]:

     田嬰輕輕飛呀　飛過山坪　自由自在覓相找 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
     田婴轻轻飞呀　飞过山坪　自由自在觅相找 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]

     Chhân-iⁿ khin-khin poe--ia, poe kòe soaⁿ-pêⁿ, chū-iû-chū-chāi bih-sio-chhōe [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

     Dragonflies fly gently over the slopeland, freely playing hide-and-seek.

   • 2024, “拌拌咧 [Dust It Off]”, in 李竺芯 [Siri Lee] (lyrics), 李竺芯 [Siri Lee] and 台南歐力桑 [Uncle Tainan] (music), Suí 水, performed by 李竺芯 [Siri Lee]:

     有水雞　有田嬰　想欲歇睏就倒轉來 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
     有水鸡　有田婴　想欲歇困就倒转来 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]

     ū chúi-ke, ū chhân-eⁿ, siūⁿ-beh hioh-khùn tiō tó-tńg--lâi [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

     With frogs and dragonflies, a spot for resting dreams [Official English translation]
     With frogs, with dragonflies, come back if you want to rest [literal English translation]

• “田嬰”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.
• Douglas, Carstairs (1873) “chhân-iⁿ”, in Chinese-English Dictionary of the Vernacular or Spoken Language of Amoy, With the Principal Variations of the Chang-chew and Chin-chew Dialects. (overall work in Hokkien and English), London: Trübner & Co., page 63; New Edition, With Corrections by the Author., Thomas Barclay, Lîm Iàn-sîn 林燕臣, London: Publishing Office of the Presbyterian Church of England, 1899, page 63
• 小川尚義 (OGAWA Naoyoshi), editor (1931–1932), “蜻蜓”, in 臺日大辭典 [Taiwanese-Japanese Dictionary]‎^[3] (overall work in Hokkien and Japanese), Taihoku: Government-General of Taiwan, →OCLC