卓

Associative compound with disputed interpretation.

Graphic structure traditionally analyzed as:

卜 + 早

However, the semantic motivation of this combination is debated, and several classical and modern explanations exist.

Bird-flight theory:

卜 — represents a bird in flight

早 — represents a net or catching tool

The bird flying too high to be caught gives rise to the meaning “high, elevated, beyond reach.”

Human elevation theory:

卜 — is interpreted as a variant of 人 (person)

早 — as a variant of 昜, which carries the idea of height or raised position

Together, they depict a person rising to a high place, from which the sense of loftiness and distinction develops.

Although none of these explanations is universally accepted, all converge on the core idea of height and prominence.

Semantic development

1. Physical height

- tall

- raised above surrounding objects

2. Abstract excellence

- outstanding

- eminent

- distinguished

3. Derived object sense

卓 → 桌 (something raised and flat, hence a table)

卓 itself is not a Kangxi radical.

Its variant 𠦝 / 龺 functions as a radical in modern Chinese systems.

Used in characters such as 朝, 韓, 乾.

This radical classification was introduced in modern PRC radical reorganization, not in the Kangxi Dictionary.

卓 represents vertical distinction — not merely being tall, but standing out. It unites:

- physical elevation

- social and moral excellence

- visual prominence

Thus, whether describing a mountain, a person, or an idea, 卓 consistently marks what rises above the ordinary.

Semantically related characters:

高 — high

超 — surpass

傑 — outstanding person

俊 — talented

Derived:

桌 — table

Contrastive:

卑 — low, humble

凡 — ordinary

Classical usage:

《史記·留侯世家》 (Records of the Grand Historian)

「卓然獨立。」

“Standing loftily alone.”

Here, 卓然 conveys moral and intellectual eminence, not mere physical height.

In Confucian and philosophical texts, while 卓 does not frequently appear as a key philosophical term, it is often used adjectivally to praise virtue or talent:

卓行 — outstanding conduct

卓識 — exceptional insight

In literary contexts, 卓 often modifies mountains, people, or achievements:

卓立群峰之上

“Standing high above the multitude of peaks.”

This expresses visual height and symbolic superiority simultaneously.

桌 — table

Directly derived from 卓

Emphasizes a raised, flat surface

In modern usage, 卓 and 桌 are strictly distinguished in Chinese