混沌

Mandarin

simpl. and trad.
混沌

Alternative forms

渾沌/浑沌
渾敦
混淪/混沦
渾淪/浑沦

Etymology

Old Chinese *guːnʔ duːnʔ. The variant 渾淪 (húnlún) suggests that this perhaps came from *guːnʔ l̥uːnʔ ~ guːnʔ ruːnʔ, from **gruːnʔ, from the root *k(V)r- ("to flow > to mix > to be turbid, chaotic"). Compare 渾, 混 (hún, gŭn, hùn, OC *guːn(ʔ), *guːns, "rapidly flowing water; turbidity; confusedness; unclearness; big; whole"), Korean 흐르다 (heureuda, “to flow; to float; to fill”), 흐리다 (heurida, “to be turbid, unclear, indistinct”), 흐릿하다 (heurithada, “to be vague, indistinct”).