眩

A phono-semantic compound:

目 — eye (semantic component)

玄 — dark, mysterious (phonetic component)

The character originally described a visual disturbance of the eyes, especially when light and darkness interfere, producing dizziness or visual confusion. From this physical sensation, abstract meanings such as mental confusion or being misled later developed.

현기증 (眩氣症) — dizziness; vertigo

현혹되다 (眩惑되다) — to be dazzled; to be misled

눈이 현하다 (目眩하다) — to feel dizzy; to have blurred vision

현란하다 (眩亂하다) — dazzling; confusing; showy

眩 bridges physical sensation and mental state. It illustrates a common semantic pattern in Chinese characters:

bodily perception → psychological condition

The presence of 目 (eye) anchors the meaning firmly in visual experience

Related characters:

眩 — dizzy; dazzled (base character)

暈 — halo; dizziness (related light-induced dizziness)

惑 — confusion (mental extension)

迷 — to be lost (cognitive confusion)

In Classical Chinese, 眩 often appears in descriptions of:

- sudden dizziness

- overwhelming brightness

- confusion caused by illusion or deception