戮

Phono-semantic compound consisting of:

戈 (창 과) — semantic component, meaning “weapon” or “spear,” indicating violence or killing.

翏 (높이날 료) — phonetic component, providing the sound lù / ryuk, associated with motion or height.

Thus, 戮 literally depicts “striking or killing with a weapon.”

In Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字):

「戮，殺也。从戈，翏聲。」

“戮 means to kill; composed of 戈 (weapon) and phonetic 翏.”

The semantic field overlaps closely with 殺 (to kill), but 戮 emphasizes execution or collective killing, often used in contexts of justice or battle.

Semantic evolution:

Military: to slay or slaughter in war.

Judicial: to execute by law, punish capitally.

Figurative: to annihilate, exterminate, or suppress completely.

Idiomatic: used in phrases like 戮力同心 (“to unite all one’s strength in one heart”).

殺戮 (살육 / 살륙) — to massacre, slaughter

戮力 (륙력) — to join forces, cooperate (lit. “combine strength”)

誅戮 (주륙) — to execute, put to death

戮罪 (륙죄) — to punish crime with execution

戮身 (륙신) — to sacrifice oneself for duty

Shiji (史記 · 秦始皇本紀):

「坑儒焚書，誅戮無道。」

“He buried the scholars and burned the books, executing the unrighteous.”

(戮 = to execute, punish by death.)

Zuo Zhuan (左傳 · 僖公二十四年):

「戮其元惡，以徇九國。」

“He executed the chief evildoer to warn the nine states.”

Han Feizi (韓非子 · 內儲說):

「戮身以徇國。」

“He sacrificed himself to serve the state” — here 戮身 = self-sacrifice unto death.

Whether in the context of justice (誅戮), battle (殺戮), or unity (戮力同心), 戮 conveys the extremity of human resolve — to end, to purge, or to act decisively.

In Korean usage, its pronunciation and orthography reflect a rich linguistic history — the classical 륙 giving way to the standardized 육 in 살육(殺戮), while its moral undertone remains severe and absolute.

Standard reading: 육 (yuk)

Original (etymological) reading: 륙 (ryuk)

According to the Korean Orthography Rule 52 (한글 맞춤법 제52항):

“When a Sino-Korean word has both the original (본음) and the popular (속음) reading, it shall be written according to the latter.”

Hence, 殺戮 is officially written as 살육, not 살륙, though both reflect the same character.

The “속음” (popular reading) 육 arose historically from phonetic simplification in Middle Korean.

Reference:

사단법인 한국어문회, 국어상담실: 한자상담 9224 (2014.05.01).

북한 문화어에서는 본음을 유지하여 살륙을 표준 표기로 사용한다.