昆

An associative compound composed of:

日 (sun);

比 (to compare; to stand side by side).

The original image likely depicted people gathered together under the sun, suggesting mixture or grouping.

The early sense carried the meaning of “to be mixed together” or “to assemble.”

Later semantic shifts produced meanings such as kinship (elder brother) and lineage (descendants).

The original sense of “mixing” was later more clearly expressed by 混.

Semantic development:

- gathering or mixing together;

- multitude or collective;

- elder brother (as one among siblings);

- descendants or lineage;

- insects (in compounds like 昆蟲).

The meaning broadened significantly over time.

In Korean, 昆 is mostly preserved in the word 곤충 (insect).

곤충 (昆蟲) — insect

곤제 (昆弟) — elder and younger brothers (classical term)

곤예 (昆裔) — descendants

昆’s early concept of mixture influenced later related characters.

Related characters:

混 — to mix

兄 — elder brother

蟲 — insect

裔 — descendants

The character appears in 昆仑 (Kunlun) — a mythological mountain in Chinese cosmology.

This usage preserves the ancient cultural significance of the character.