空蝉

Etymology 1
/utuso2mi1/ *[utusəmi] → /utusomi/. A contraction of and. Older form of. The kanji are ateji.

Noun

 * 1) a living being
 * 2) the world of the living

Etymology 2
/utusemi1/ → /utusemi/. From older /utusomi/. The association with a cicada shell is due to a reinterpretation based on the homonymous words and.

Noun

 * 1) a living being
 * 2) the world of the living
 * 3) the cast-off shell of a cicada
 * 4) emptiness