主

It is a pictograph modeled after the image of a flame burning on a lamp plate.

The top dot 丶 represents the flame,

The lower part 王 looks like a candlestick, though it has no relation to the character 王 ("king") in terms of meaning.

Originally, 主 was written as just 丶, and this character evolved into a more detailed form. In old Korean writing, 丶 was sometimes drawn upright.

The character’s original meaning was 炷 (wick), referring to the wick of a lamp.

The suffix -주 (主) is widely used to refer to owners or holders, as in:

건물주 – building owner

소유주 – property owner

차주 – car owner

It refers to a ruler, a master (as in 主人, meaning "owner"; the native Korean term is 임자).

For royalty:

A ruler may be represented with 王, 君 (gun), or 主.

君主 (gunju) means "monarch" or "sovereign."

In historical Korean dramas, the king is called 주상전하 ("Jusang Jeonha"), where 주 (主) refers to the ruler.

Female monarchs are called 女主 (yeoju), and this term was also applied to queen dowagers or regents (e.g., 대왕대비 or 왕대비) who held real political power.

As a verb, 主 is used in contexts such as:

주관하다 (to preside over)

책임지다 (to take responsibility)

주장하다 (to assert or claim)

예시하다 (to exemplify)

As an adjective, it is used in phrases like:

주되다 – meaning "primary" or "main"

Most ideologies end in 주의 (主義), the suffix meaning “-ism,” such as:

민주주의 (democracy)

공산주의 (communism)

자본주의 (capitalism)

In this context, 主 reflects the idea of central principle or main idea.