濁

A phono-semantic compound:

水 (수) — semantic component, indicating liquids

蜀 (촉) — phonetic component, supplying the sound (탁 / zhuó)

When 蜀 functions as a phonetic, it is often abbreviated to 虫 in component structure.

This formation conveys water that is mixed and unclear, hence turbidity.

Semantic development:

- physical turbidity — muddy water

- mixture/impurity — lack of clarity

- abstract corruption — moral, social, or intellectual muddiness

In Korean, 濁 is widely used both literally (water quality) and figuratively (society, morals, sound).

Common compounds:

혼탁 (混濁) — turbidity; confusion

청탁 (清濁) — purity and impurity

탁류 (濁流) — muddy current

탁음 (濁音) — voiced sound (phonetics)

탁세 (濁世) — corrupt age; degenerate times (literary)

Compared with 混 (to mix), 濁 emphasizes the resulting lack of clarity, not the act of mixing itself.

Related characters (clarity & impurity):

清 — clear; pure

混 — to mix; confused

汚 — dirty; polluted

澄 — to clarify; settle

淨 — clean; pure

Among these, 濁 captures the state of muddiness resulting from impurity, both literal and metaphorical.