雲

A phono-semantic compound:

雨 (“rain”) clarifies the semantic field of weather/atmospheric phenomena.

云 (un, “to speak; cloud”) provides the phonetic element.

Originally, 云 depicted the drifting shape of clouds in the sky.

白雲 (백운) – white clouds;

烏雲 (오운) – dark clouds;

雲海 (운해) – sea of clouds;

雲集 (운집) – to gather in great numbers (lit. “like clouds collecting”);

高雲 (고운) – high clouds;

雲煙 (운연) – clouds and mist.

In poetry, 雲 often symbolizes loftiness, transience, or gathering multitudes.

A very common element in Korean place names and Buddhist temple names (e.g., 백운산 Mt. Baegun, “White Cloud Mountain”).

The Simplified Chinese form 云 is now used both for “cloud” and “to say,” though context usually makes the meaning clear.