崩

Phono-semantic compound consisting of:

山 (뫼 산) — semantic component, denoting mountain or elevation, signifying “collapse from height.”

朋 (벗 붕) — phonetic component, giving sound bung / bēng and connoting doubling or spreading.

Thus, 崩 originally depicts “a mountain collapsing downward.”

In Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字):

「崩，山壞也。从山，朋聲。」

“崩 means a mountain falling apart; composed of 山 (mountain) and phonetic 朋.”

The imagery evokes a lofty structure breaking down under its own weight, later extended to rulers or great figures “falling” from life or power.

崩壞 (붕괴) — collapse, destruction

天崩地裂 (천붕지렬) — heaven collapses and earth splits; catastrophic upheaval

崩潰 (붕궤) — collapse, breakdown (mental, social, or military)

崩落 (붕락) — to fall or cave in

崩沒 (붕몰) — to submerge and disappear (rare)

皇崩 (황붕) — the emperor’s death

In ancient ritual language, distinct characters were used for deaths according to rank:

天子 (황제): 崩 (붕) — “collapse of heaven”

諸侯 (제후): 薨 (훙) — “to pass away nobly”

大夫 (대부): 卒 (졸) — “to die”

士 / 庶人 (서민): 死 (사) — “to die (ordinary)”

逆臣 / 罪人 (역적): 斃 (폐) — “to be slain”

To kill one’s own ruler or parent: 弑 (시).

To kill another’s ruler or parent: 戕 (장).

To kill a criminal or traitor: 誅 (주).

Hence, 붕(崩) became the highest and most solemn term for death — a linguistic relic of hierarchical Confucian ritual culture.

In classical China, it rose to express the death of the Son of Heaven, embodying cosmic upheaval — “the heavens themselves collapsing.”

Book of Documents (書經 · 無逸篇):

「天崩地陷，獨不懼焉。」

“Though heaven falls and the earth sinks, he alone remains unafraid.”

Zuo Zhuan (左傳 · 昭公二十年):

「天子崩，諸侯薨，卿大夫卒。」

“When the Son of Heaven dies, he is said to have collapsed; when feudal lords die, they are said to have passed; ministers and nobles are said to have died.”

Shiji (史記 · 秦始皇本紀):

「始皇崩於沙丘。」

“The First Emperor died (collapsed) at Shaqiu.”

Though originally reserved for emperors, 崩 in modern Mandarin (bēng) now appears widely in both literal and figurative senses:

網站崩了 — “The website crashed.”

股票崩盤 — “The stock market collapsed.”

心態崩潰 — “to have a mental breakdown.”

The semantic evolution mirrors the shift from physical collapse to emotional or systemic breakdown.

Today, whether in moral, social, or digital contexts, 崩 continues to carry the connotation of sudden, irreversible collapse—a word bridging both natural and human catastrophe.