Etymology unclear. Several hypotheses exist. Compare Manchu mahu ("wry face"), lahu ("without hunting skills"); Chinese 模糊 (móhu, "unclear, fuzzy"), 麻糊 (máhú, "careless"). Attested as early as Yuan Dynasty. A literal etymology is unlikely; Individual characters are possibly chosen based on their phonetic values rather than meanings, since many variant forms exist.[1][2][3][4]