場

Formed as a phono-semantic compound:

土 (earth, ground) provides the semantic component, indicating soil, land, or place.

昜 (bright, rising sun; phonetic) provides the sound element.

Originally referred to an open space of earth under the sun, later generalized to mean any site or place where activities occur.

Semantic range:

- yard, open ground, field (마당, 뜰, 밭);

- marketplace, site of activity (시장, 현장);

- occasion, event, situation (장면, 장);

- by extension, sphere of practice or ritual ground (도량, 법장).

운동장 (運動場) — sports field, playground

시장 (市場) — market

현장 (現場) — scene, site of an event

도장 (道場) — training hall (martial arts or religious practice)

도량 (道場) — Buddhist temple ground, ritual site

공장 (工場) — factory

In Buddhist usage, 場 (장) has special significance. The term 道場 (도량), literally "place of the Way," refers to a sacred site of practice or enlightenment. Over time, this meaning expanded to denote any cultivated space for moral, spiritual, or martial discipline—from monasteries to meditation halls and martial arts training grounds.

In Confucian discourse, it could also signify the “場” of human affairs, where virtue is enacted in society.

塲