眠

A phono-semantic compound composed of:

目 (eye) — semantic component, indicates the state of the eyes, especially closing or loss of active perception;

民 (people) — phonetic component, supplies the sound "myeon / mián."

The structure straightforwardly conveys eyes closed or inactive, giving rise to the meaning “to sleep.”

The primary sense of 眠 is natural sleep, distinct from resting or lying down.

Meanings expanded from the bodily state to broader domains:

- physiological sleep — falling asleep, being asleep;

- temporary inactivity — dormant, inactive state;

- metaphorical dullness — lack of alertness or awareness.

This mirrors a common conceptual mapping: closed eyes → suspended activity.

Sleep & physiology:

수면 (睡眠) — sleep

불면 (不眠) — insomnia

면하다 (眠하다) — to sleep (classical style)

Figurative / extended:

면중 (眠中) — while asleep

면면 (眠眠) — drowsy; half-asleep (literary)

眠 focuses on the state of being asleep, not the act of lying down:

臥 — to lie down

休 — to rest

Often paired with 覺 (to awaken), forming a natural sleep–wake opposition.

Related characters:

睡 — to sleep (general/standard)

覺 — to awaken; awareness

夢 — dream

休 — rest

臥 — to lie down

Among these, 眠 most directly represents the physiological sleep state, especially the transition into it.

In Korean academic slang, the character 眠 is jokingly used in 眠事訴訟法 (“sleep-inducing civil procedure law”), a pun on 民事訴訟法, reflecting the course’s reputation for being tedious and soporific.

This wordplay exploits the visual similarity of 民 and 眠 (adding 目 “eye”), reinforcing the semantic link to sleepiness.

Such usage highlights how graphical structure influences mnemonic humor.

Classical / literary usage:

長夜不眠 — “A long night without sleep”

眠中不覺 — “Asleep and unaware”