叔

A phono-semantic compound composed of:

又 — “hand,” indicating action or function

尗 — phonetic element (shuk), originally depicting young grain shoots or beans

In early usage, 尗 conveyed the idea of smallness or youth, which later extended semantically to “younger” or “junior.”

Core meanings:

- younger paternal uncle (father’s younger brother)

- a man of the father’s generation (polite address)

- junior; younger (relative sense)

- secondary or subordinate (extended meaning)

숙부 (叔父) — paternal uncle (younger than one’s father)

숙모 (叔母) — wife of one’s paternal uncle

숙질 (叔姪) — uncle–nephew relationship

백숙 (伯叔) — elder and younger uncles collectively

In classical kinship systems, 叔 specifically means father’s younger brother.

This contrasts with:

伯 — father’s elder brother

仲 — second among brothers

季 — youngest

叔 often appears in:

- genealogical records

- ritual texts

- historical biographies

Example:

叔父 — paternal uncle

季叔 — youngest uncle

In modern Korean, the native term 아저씨 broadly means “middle-aged man,” but 叔 remains formal and genealogical.

In Chinese, 叔 is widely used as a polite address for unrelated older men (e.g. 王叔).

In Japanese, おじ (叔) remains common in everyday speech.

Related characters:

伯 — elder uncle

仲 — second among brothers

季 — youngest

父 — father

兄 — elder brother

弟 — younger brother

Classical citations:

Book of Rites (禮記)

「父之弟曰叔。」

“The father’s younger brother is called shu (叔).”

This passage establishes the formal kinship definition of 叔.

In dynastic histories, 叔 is frequently used in royal genealogies:

叔父輔政 — “The uncle assisted in governance”