Definitions

xiáo variant of 淆[xiáo]
yáo variant of 肴[yáo]
xiáo confused and disorderly; mixed; Taiwan pr. [yáo]

Etymology phono-semantic

water

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "淆" is structured as a phono-semantic compound, integrating the water radical on the left to suggest fluidity or intermixing with the component "肴" on the right, which primarily serves a phonetic function while possibly echoing connotations of disarray. Etymologically, it originated from descriptions of turbid or agitated water, conveying a sense of physical obscurity and disorder, but its application gradually broadened to encompass abstract notions of confusion and the blending of distinct elements. This semantic shift allowed the character to become integral in expressing conceptual obfuscation, as evidenced in terms like "混淆", where it denotes the act of undermining clarity or creating ambiguity, all while maintaining its compositional form without substantive alteration over time.

Example Sentences Hide

不要混这两个概念。

Bùyào hùnxiáo zhè liǎng gè gàiniàn.

Do not confuse these two concepts.

他的说法容易混视听。

Tā de shuōfǎ róngyì hùnxiáo shìtīng.

His statement is likely to mislead the public.

这些相似的数据容易造成混

Zhèxiē xiāngsì de shùjù róngyì zàochéng hùnxiáo.

These similar data can easily cause confusion.

故意混事实是错误的行为。

Gùyì hùnxiáo shìshí shì cuòwù de xíngwéi.

Deliberately obscuring the facts is wrong behavior.

复杂的法律条文常常令人混

Fùzá de fǎlǜ tiáowén chángcháng lìng rén hùnxiáo.

Complicated legal provisions often cause confusion.

这两起独立事件被媒体混了。

Zhè liǎng qǐ dúlì shìjiàn bèi méitǐ hùnxiáole.

These two independent events were conflated by the media.

历史学家致力于澄清被混的史实。

Lìshǐ xuéjiā zhìlì yú chéngqīng bèi hùnxiáo de shǐshí.

Historians work to clarify the historical facts that have been confused.

理论模型的假设边界不清会导致概念混

Lǐlùn móxíng de jiǎshè biānjiè bù qīng huì dǎozhì gàiniàn hùnxiáo.

Unclear assumption boundaries in a theoretical model can lead to conceptual confusion.