怜

to pity; to show compassion; to feel sympathy (in Chinese Simplified);

This dual tradition is essential to understanding the character.

Phono-semantic compound:

心 (마음 심) — semantic element, indicating mental qualities, emotion, or intelligence.

令 (하여금 령) — phonetic element providing the sound (lieng / 령) and carrying a nuance of “command, clarity, order,” which contributes the sense of mental sharpness.

Thus originally 怜 meant “a mind that is sharp/clear,” hence “intelligent, clever.”

Semantic development:

Cleverness, intelligence (original meaning):

- quick in thought

- perceptive

- shrewd, sharp-witted

Compassion / pity (Chinese simplification):

- emotional tone of 憐 migrated to 怜 in simplified script.

Calm clarity of mind:

- rare poetic usage

- mental lucidity

Name element:

- appears in Korean and Japanese given names, often meaning “clever, smart, bright.”

In Korean, 怜(령) appears primarily in Sino-Korean compounds describing intelligence, cleverness, and sharp mental ability.

Intelligence / cleverness:

怜悧 (영리) — 영리하고 약삭빠름; clever; smart; sharp-witted

怜俊 (영준) — 재주가 뛰어남; talented; brilliant

怜敏 (영민) — 민첩하고 똑똑함; nimble-minded; intelligent

Character / mind clarity:

怜察 (영찰) — 통찰이 밝음; keen insight

怜悟 (영오) — 깨달음이 빠름; quick comprehension

怜明 (영명) — 밝고 총명함; wise and clear-minded

Note: Classical Chinese texts use the traditional form 憐, not 怜, for “pity.”

For the meaning “clever,” citations are drawn from classical lexicons and dictionaries.

《廣韻》 (Guangyun)

「怜，利也。」

“怜 means sharp or clever.”

《集韻》 (Collection of rhymes)

「怜，慧也。」

“怜 means intelligent.”

《玉篇》 (Jade Chapter)

「怜，敏也。」

“怜 means quick-witted.”

《康熙字典》 (Kangxi Dictionary)

「怜，利也，慧也。」

“怜 means sharp, clever, intelligent.”

These lexicographical sources confirm the Sino-Korean meaning of “clever, bright, sharp-witted,” independent from the later Chinese simplified usage.

In PRC script reform, 怜 was adopted as the simplified form of 憐.

However, this did not reflect original etymology; the meanings diverged:

Traditional Chinese: 憐 — pity; compassion;

Simplified Chinese: 怜 — pity; compassion;

Classical Sino-Korean/Japanese: 怜 = clever; intelligent;