About
The character "鲧", with its traditional form "鯀", originally signified a type of fish, a meaning derived from its structural composition of the fish radical "魚" combined with the component "系". Over centuries, its primary semantic application shifted from this piscine reference to become solely associated with the ancient mythological figure Gun, who is recorded in early texts for his attempts to quell a great flood. The simplified form "鲧" maintains this compositional principle, featuring the simplified fish radical "鱼" alongside the unchanged component "系", while the character's utility in modern language is almost entirely confined to denoting this legendary persona.
Etymology Hide
