屍

A phono-semantic compound consisting of:

尸 (body radical) — semantic component, indicating a human body or form;

死 (to die) — phonetic component, contributing sound and reinforcing meaning.

The combination conveys a body that has died, forming the meaning “corpse.”

시체 (屍體) — corpse; dead body

The radical 尸 (body) is itself named after this character’s meaning (corpse).

In Japanese orthographic reform (post-1945), 屍 was largely replaced by 死 due to identical pronunciation.

Today, 屍 is often used in literary, historical, or stylistic contexts to evoke a more archaic or dramatic tone.

In modern media (games, novels), it may appear to enhance atmosphere or intensity.

Related characters:

死 — death

體 — body

骸 — skeleton; remains

亡 — to perish

Among these, 屍 emphasizes the corpse itself, not the event of death or abstract concept.