僻

A phono-semantic compound:

人 (인) — semantic component, indicating human state or disposition

辟 (벽) — phonetic component, supplying the sound (벽 / pì)

Originally, 僻 described a person living far from the center, physically isolated from society.

From this spatial meaning developed psychological and social extensions: withdrawn, unsociable, and eventually eccentric or biased.

Semantic development:

- geographical isolation — remote place or people

- social distance — withdrawn from society

- psychological deviation — eccentricity, bias

僻 appears mainly in descriptive, literary, and evaluative contexts, often with a negative or marked nuance.

궁벽 (窮僻) — remote and impoverished

벽지 (僻地) — remote area; backcountry

벽벽하다 (僻僻하다) — extremely secluded

벽성 (僻性) — eccentric disposition

Extended / evaluative usage:

성격이 벽하다 — to have a warped or unsociable character

사상이 벽하다 — ideas are biased or extreme

Unlike 偏 (biased, one-sided), 僻 emphasizes separation from the norm, whether physical or mental.

Related characters (isolation & bias):

偏 — biased; one-sided

癖 — ingrained habit; obsession

孤 — lonely; isolated

鄙 — rustic; uncultured

陋 — shabby; crude

Among these, 僻 uniquely bridges geographical remoteness and psychological deviation.

In South Korea, the term 벽자 (僻字) is defined as a character outside:

- the 1,800 basic Hanja taught in education,

- the Korean Language Association Grade 3 set (total 1,817 characters)

Since 僻 belongs to Grade 2, it technically qualifies as a “벽자” itself, creating a well-known ironic example frequently cited in discussions of Hanja education.

Japanese usage note:

In Japanese, although 僻 is a non-jōyō kanji, it is still actively used in the verb 僻む (ひがむ, higamu) — to be warped; to be resentful; to become twisted in attitude.

This verb is commonly used to describe:

- distorted personality

- adolescent delinquency

- socially maladjusted behavior

Notably, this sense does not align with the original spatial meaning, but rather reflects the later psychological extension.