劇

Phono-semantic compound:

刀 (칼 도) — semantic element, representing cutting, sharpness, or intensity.

豦 (큰돼지 거) — phonetic element, providing the sound 극 and suggesting strength, force, or aggression.

The combination evokes the image of cutting sharply or severely, which evolved semantically into intensity, extremity, or strong effect.

By extension, the term came to denote “drama” — a form of artistic expression marked by intensity of emotion and conflict.

연극 (演劇) — play, drama

비극 (悲劇) — tragedy

희극 (笑劇) — comedy

극통 (劇痛) — intense pain

극독 (劇毒) — potent poison

In modern Korean, 劇 is read 극 and used both literally (as in 연극, “theater”) and metaphorically (as in 극렬하다, “intensely fierce”).

It frequently denotes extremity or intensity, whether of emotion, action, or situation.

In early Chinese texts, 劇 primarily meant “severe, intense, or grave”, often describing physical pain or dangerous conditions.

「病劇則死。」

“If the illness becomes severe, one dies.” — Han Feizi (韓非子)

Later, during the Han dynasty, it acquired metaphorical and artistic extensions, referring to dramatic narratives or performances — events marked by tension, conflict, and vivid expression.

By the Tang and Song dynasties, 劇 became associated with public entertainment, and later specifically plays (zaju 雜劇), which evolved into the theatrical arts of Yuan drama (元曲) and later Chinese opera (戲劇).

Cultural & symbolic notes:

The evolution from “intense” to “drama” is conceptually natural: theater embodies heightened, concentrated human experience.

Thus, 劇 came to symbolize not only severity but also artistic expression of human struggle.

In East Asian theater tradition, compounds such as:

戲劇 (희극) — general drama or theater.

歌劇 (가극) — opera, musical performance.

悲劇 (비극) and 喜劇 (희극) — tragedy and comedy,

show the term’s transformation into a cornerstone of cultural vocabulary.

Symbolic interpretation:

劇 embodies the idea of intensity brought to life — whether in emotion, physical experience, or performance.

It is the cutting edge of expression, where feeling becomes visible and vivid.

「劇者，情之極也。」

“Drama is the extremity of emotion.”

Thus, in language, medicine, or the arts, 劇 signifies that which is heightened, severe, or profoundly human — from 극렬(劇烈, fierce struggle) to 연극(演劇, dramatic play), it captures the full intensity of life itself.

In some simplified or variant forms (used historically in Korea and Japan), the 豕 (돼지 시) component is omitted, leaving only the lower part. This form (⿰刀豕→⿰刀居-like structure) appeared frequently in film posters and hand-painted advertisements during the early to mid-20th century for space-saving and stylistic purposes.