伯
- eldest, senior;
- chief, leader, master;
- an honorific title for elder men;
Etymology
Phono-semantic compound:
人 (“person”) — semantic element.
白 (baek / bái, “white”) — phonetic element.
Originally denoted the eldest son or chief among brothers, then broadened to mean leader, senior, or master figure.
Usage in Korean
伯父 (백부) — eldest uncle (father’s elder brother)
伯母 (백모) — wife of the eldest uncle
伯仲 (백중) — evenly matched, “as close as elder and second brother”
伯爵 (백작) — count (noble title)
伯樂 (백락) — famous judge of horses, by extension: good judge of talent
Words that derived from 伯
Additional notes
In ancient Chinese nobility, 伯 was one of the five ranks of feudal lords, usually translated as “count.”
In Vietnamese (Bác), the character is used as an honorific for elder men, especially respected figures (e.g., Bác Hồ = “Uncle Ho,” referring to Ho Chi Minh).
In Korean, 伯 survives mainly in kinship terms (백부, 백모) and compounds.
