康

Originally a phono-semantic compound.

米 (rice, grain) – semantic, connected to food, nourishment.

庚 (gēng, cyclical sign) – phonetic element, later distorted to resemble 隶.

The earliest sense was rice bran (the husk of grain). From the idea of sufficiency in food and sustenance, the meaning extended to “peace, health, being free from hardship.”

Semantic range:

- health, well-being, peace;

- safety, stability, comfort;

- figurative: prosperity, ease of life.

건강 (健康) — health, well-being

안강 (安康) — peaceful and healthy

강녕 (康寧) — peace and tranquility (literary, formal greeting/writing)

강태 (康泰) — peaceful and safe (archaic/literary)