Definitions

yūn used in 氤氳|氤氲[yīn yūn]

Etymology phono-semantic

air

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

is a phono-semantic compound used to describe dense, swirling mist, smoke, or atmospheric vapors. It is structurally enclosed on the top and upper right by the radical (gas, air), which denotes its connection to gases, atmospheric phenomena, and other ethereal substances. Tucked inside the radical is the phonetic , composed of a sun over a bowl, which supplies the pronunciation; its semantic role is negligible. The character almost always occurs in the compound 氤氲, a descriptive term that captures the visual essence of thick fog, rising incense smoke, or the vital energy (qi) believed to permeate the natural environment in traditional philosophical contexts.