also: もくねん
adverb taking the 'to' particle, taru-adjective
silently; in silence
Describes a state of being completely silent, often with a nuance of stillness or solemnity. Used with と as an adverb or in literary descriptions.
彼は黙然と座っていた。
He sat in complete silence.
会場は黙然とした雰囲気に包まれた。
The hall was enveloped in a silent atmosphere.
Composed of 黙 (silence) and 然 (state, condition). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination follows a classical Chinese pattern for forming adverbs and adjectives describing a state.