蒙

It is a phono-semantic compound, formed from:

艸 (“grass, vegetation”) as the semantic element;

冡 (mong, “to cover over”) as the phonetic element.

The original imagery is of being covered, concealed under growth, which naturally extended to the figurative senses of darkness, obscurity, ignorance.

蒙 developed from the concrete image of being covered or concealed into broader figurative meanings of darkness, ignorance, or being burdened:

몽매 (蒙昧) – ignorance, unenlightened

몽혼 (蒙昏) – dim, benighted

은혜를 입다 (承蒙) – “to be indebted to kindness” (lit. “to receive grace”)

몽상 (夢想, but phonetic overlap) – dreaming, fantasy (not etymologically from 蒙 but often confused by sound).

As a proper noun, it also designates Mongolia (蒙古, 몽골).

In Buddhism, 蒙 often appears in compounds denoting ignorance or unenlightenment, akin to 無明 (avidyā). For example, 蒙昧 carries the sense of being benighted, lacking wisdom, still covered by delusion.

In Daoist texts, 蒙 is sometimes used in the sense of being clouded, concealed, or immature, often contrasted with clarity (明). It appears in the I Ching (易經, Hexagram 4, 蒙卦) where 蒙 represents “youthful ignorance,” a stage requiring instruction and cultivation.

In a more positive sense, 蒙 can also mean “to receive, to be covered with”, expressing humility when acknowledging favors or blessings.

矇 – “partially blind, dim-sighted,” shares the same phonetic root.

濛 – “drizzling rain.”

In Simplified Chinese, 蒙 also functions as the simplified form of 矇 and 濛.