婦

Two main interpretations exist:

Phono-semantic compound:

女 (“woman”) provides the semantic component;

帚 (“broom”) provides the phonetic value.

Pictographic-ideographic explanation:

depicts a woman (女) holding a broom (帚), symbolizing household duties, hence extended to “wife, married woman.”

Semantic range:

- wife, spouse (아내, 부인);

- daughter-in-law (며느리);

- woman (married woman, adult female).

부인 (婦人) — lady, wife, woman

주부 (主婦) — housewife

과부 (寡婦) — widow

귀부인 (貴婦人) — noblewoman, distinguished lady

In many dialects (esp. Chinese), 文讀/白讀 (literary vs. colloquial readings) show historical sound change, but in Korean only one Sino-Korean reading 부 is used.