濫

Phono-semantic compound:

水 (물 수) — semantic element, water, flow, flooding

監 (볼 감) — phonetic element

Semantic development:

Overflowing / flooding (literal):

- water exceeding banks

- spilling, inundation

Excessiveness:

- behavior or quantity going beyond proper measure

- “too much,” “overly”

Indulgence / recklessness:

- acting without restraint

- “running wild,” “uncontrolled”

Turbidity / impurity:

- muddied, not pure

- “濫觴” historically means earliest beginnings, but 向 derived differently

Abuse / misuse (modern):

- misuse of power, authority, privilege

- “濫用” (abuse)

In Korean, 濫(람) appears mainly in formal, academic, legal, and literary contexts describing excess, abuse, overflow, or unruly behavior.

Excess / going beyond proper bounds:

過濫 (과람) — 지나치게 많음; excessive; overly abundant

濫情 (람정) — 정도를 지나친 감정; excessive emotion

濫言 (람언) — 함부로 말함; reckless or improper speech

Abuse / misuse:

濫用 (남용) — 함부로 씀; to abuse; to misuse

濫權 (람권/남권) — 권력을 남용함; abuse of power

濫施 (람시) — 무분별하게 베풂; to bestow or apply indiscriminately

Flooding / overflow:

濫溢 (람일) — 넘쳐흐름; overflowing; flooding

濫漫 (람만) — 물이 번져 흘러감; widespread flooding

濫觴 (람상) — 물이 퍼져나가는 시초; figurative: the very beginning of something

Indulgence / unrestrained conduct:

濫行 (람행) — 함부로 행함; to act recklessly

濫縱 (람종) — 방종함; to indulge excessively

These compounds show the dual literal–figurative structure typical of 濫.

濫 in classical philosophy is tied to disorder: “to be excessive → to cause chaos.”

《左傳·昭公二十六年》 (Zuo Zhuan)

「水潦為患，百川皆濫。」

“The rains caused disaster; all the streams overflowed” — literal flooding.

《荀子·王制》 (Xunzi)

「濫則失本。」

“When one is excessive, one loses the root” — figurative excess = moral loss.

《史記·秦始皇本紀》 (Records of the Grand Historian)

「法令濫而不行。」

“The laws were excessive and ineffective” — “濫” = overabundant, improper, chaotic.

《韓非子·外儲說左上》 (Han Feizi)

「賞罰濫則亂。」

“When rewards and punishments are applied recklessly, disorder arises.”

《論衡·自紀》 (Lunheng)

「濫情縱欲，必致敗亡。」

“Those who indulge excessively and let their desires run free inevitably meet ruin.”

These illustrate overflow, excess, misuse.

In water terminology, 濫 contrasts with 清 (clear):

濫 — muddy, overflowing, uncontrolled

清 — pure, calm, restrained