孟

Traditionally analyzed as a compound ideograph:

子 (child) — indicates offspring

皿 (container; vessel) — suggests fullness or completion

Together, they convey the idea of the first child who fills the family line, hence eldest or firstborn.

From this core meaning developed the extended sense of “the first” or “initial” in a series.

Semantic development:

- firstborn child — eldest

- leading position — foremost among peers

- temporal beginning — first phase of a cycle (season, period)

Unlike 長 (eldest by age or authority), 孟 emphasizes order of emergence, not power or seniority.

孟 appears frequently in classical, calendrical, and personal-name contexts.

Family / hierarchy:

맹자 (孟子) — Mencius, “the eldest Master”

맹형 (孟兄) — eldest brother (classical usage)

In the traditional East Asian seasonal system, each season has three months:

맹춘 (孟春) — first month of spring

중춘 (仲春) — middle month

계춘 (季春) — last month

The same pattern applies to other seasons:

맹하 (孟夏) — early summer

맹추 (孟秋) — early autumn

맹동 (孟冬) — early winter

Here, 孟 explicitly marks the beginning.

孟 is strongly associated with classical naming conventions.

In ancient China, brothers were often named according to birth order: 孟 (eldest) – 仲 (second) – 叔 (third) – 季 (youngest).

This system influenced:

- personal names

- courtesy names

- calendrical terminology

The philosopher 孟子 (Mencius) bears this title-like name, reflecting his status as a major successor in Confucian thought.

Related characters (order & birth):

長 — eldest; senior

仲 — second

叔 — third / younger

季 — youngest; last

元 — origin; first

Among these, 孟 uniquely marks the first appearance in a structured sequence, whether familial or temporal.