【析形】形声字。小篆字形从黾,敖声,黾旁为龟旁讹变,从龟表示甲壳类动物。后世改作从鱼,敖声,从鱼表示水生动物。 【释义】《说文》新附:“海大鼈也。”本义是传说中海中能负山的大鳖或大龟。《玉篇·黾部》:“传曰:有神灵之鳌,背负蓬莱之山在海中。”鳌是中国古代文化中的神灵之物。古代宫殿陛石多镌刻巨鳌,故可代指禁中宫殿,如[鳌宫]。而皇宫石阶前鳌头所刻之处,是科举时状元及第者站着迎榜的地方,故科举时代称中状元为[独占鳌头],后来又以此比喻占首位或居第一名。 【shape analysis】It is the pictophonetic character. In Small Seal script it is related to黾(mǐn,to strive)and sounds like 敖(áo). 黾 is changed into 龟(guī,turtle), later into 鱼(yǘ,fish)which means the aquatic animals. 【original meaning】 The legends of the sea turtle or large soft—shelled turtle that can carry the mountain on the back. The soft—shelled turtle is the divinities of the ancient culture.