佚

Phono-semantic compound:

人 (사람 인) — semantic component, indicating human action or state.

失 (잃을 실) — phonetic component, providing the sound yì / il and the sense of loss or relaxation.

Hence, 佚 originally denoted a state where one’s body or spirit is released or “loosened”, extending metaphorically from being lost to being free or at ease.

In Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字):

「佚，安也。从人，失聲。」

“佚 means to be at ease; composed of 人 (‘person’) and phonetic 失 (‘to lose’).”

Thus, early philology connects 佚 explicitly to restfulness (安), not loss — the sense “to lose” emerged through later semantic overlap.

佚樂 (일락) — pleasure; ease; amusement

佚名 (일명) — anonymous (“lost name” → author unknown)

佚事 (일사) — forgotten or omitted anecdote

佚書 (일서) — lost book

佚聞 (일문) — unrecorded or obscure information

放佚 (방일) — indulgent; unrestrained in behavior

安佚 (안일) — complacency; easy comfort

Kangxi Dictionary (康熙字典, vol. 83):

「佚，安也；又逸也，通作逸。」

“佚 means to be at ease; also read as 逸 — the two are interchangeable.”

Book of Documents (書經 · 太甲下):

「惟學遜志，務時敏，厥修乃來，徂遐自佚。」

“Only those who are humble and diligent, their cultivation comes; the negligent fall into idleness (自佚).”

Analects (論語 · 泰伯篇):

「君子義以為上，君子安而不佚。」

“The gentleman values righteousness above all; he may be at peace but not indulgent (佚)” — contrasting moral repose (安) with indulgent ease (佚).

Mencius (孟子 · 盡心上):

「樂而不佚。」

“Joyful but not self-indulgent.”

These usages emphasize 佚 as moral relaxation or complacency — the contrast between rightful peace and corrupt idleness.

In Confucian ethics, 佚 carries a negative nuance when used with 安 (安佚): comfort leading to neglect of duty.

In Daoist texts, however, 佚 can describe the spontaneous state of natural repose, akin to 無爲 (non-action).

In literary Chinese, 逸 and 佚 often interchange to express poetic leisure or elegant withdrawal (逸士, 佚老).

Whether as 安佚 (ease), 佚名 (lost name), or 放佚 (indulgence), the character captures the delicate balance between freedom and neglect — repose and ruin.