和

Phono-semantic compound:

口 (“mouth, speech”) provides the semantic element, suggesting harmony through words or sound.

禾 (“grain, rice plant”) provides the phonetic element and also hints at agrarian life, balance, and nourishment.

Semantic range:

- to harmonize, make peace (화하다, 화목하다);

- gentle, moderate, calm (온화하다, 부드럽다);

- union, blending, concord (조화, 합치다);

- in mathematics, the “sum” (덧셈 결과).

화합 (和合) — harmony, concord

화평 (和平) — peace, reconciliation

중화 (中和) — neutralization, moderation

조화 (調和) — balance, harmony

In Confucian thought, 和 is central to the idea of social and cosmic harmony. The Doctrine of the Mean (中庸) praises 和 as the highest state of balanced interaction, where differences coexist without conflict.

In Daoism, 和 resonates with the principle of complementarity and natural balance (陰陽和).

In Japanese culture, 和 (wa) evolved into a national self-concept symbolizing social concord, modesty, and integration, influencing aesthetics, cuisine (和食), and national identity (大和).

咊 (U+548A) — positions of 口 and 禾 reversed.

龢 (U+9FA2) — with 龠 (“flute”) replacing 口, reinforcing the idea of harmony in music.