Polymerizable compounds and polymerizable compositions

A polymerizable compound represented by general formula (1):

• wherein
• M1 and M2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a methyl group;
• X1 and X2 each independently represent a single bond, an optionally branched alkylene group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an optionally branched alkyleneoxy group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms bonded to the adjacent ring at the oxygen atom thereof, or an optionally branched alkyleneoxycarbonyloxy group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms;
• X3 represents an optionally branched alkylene group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, the —CH2— moiety of which may be displaced with an oxygen atom, provided that no two oxygen atoms are adjacent to each other;
• Y1 and Y2 each independently represent a linking group selected from a single bond, an ester linkage, an ether linkage, an optionally branched alkylene group having 2 to 8 carbon atoms which may have an unsaturated bond, and a combination thereof;
• and
• rings A, B, C, and D each independently represent a cyclic structure selected from the group consisting of 1,4-phenylene, 1,4-cyclohexylene, and 2,6-naphthylene, the cyclic structure being optionally substituted with a substituent selected from a halogen atom, an optionally branched alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an optionally branched alkoxy group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, —CO—O—R1, —CO—R2, or —O—CO—R3, wherein R1, R2, and R3 each represent an optionally branched alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms.