The word 流氓 is formed through the semantic combination of its two characters. 流 (liú) means "to flow" or "to drift", implying a rootless, wandering existence. 氓 (máng) originally meant a commoner or migrant, someone without established roots or land. When combined, the term historically painted a picture of a displaced, floating population, people without a fixed home or social bonds, who were often viewed with suspicion as idle and potentially troublesome. Over time, this concrete image of a wandering outsider evolved into the abstract, modern meaning of a hooligan, rogue, or immoral person who figuratively drifts outside the bounds of proper social conduct.