撥

Combines the meanings of hand-action + expulsion/motion, giving it a wide range of senses centered on directing, clearing, or managing.

Phono-semantic compound:

手 (손 수) — semantic component, indicating hand action.

發 (필 발) — phonetic element, giving the reading (pal / puat, 발) → 発 depicts outward movement, bursting forth.

Thus 撥 originally meant “to push away or move aside with the hand.”

This then extended into:

- clearing obstacles

- straightening out affairs

- managing funds or matters

- distributing or dispatching

In Korean, 撥(발) occurs mainly in formal, literary, and administrative vocabulary relating to management, regulation, allocation, and rectifying disorder.

Managing / regulating:

撥亂 (발란) — 어지러움을 다스림; to pacify disorder; rectify chaos

撥正 (발정) — 바르게 바로잡음; correct; set right

撥治 (발치) — 다스려서 고침; to govern and cure (problems)

Allocating / distributing:

撥付 (발부) — 지급함; disburse; allocate funds

撥給 (발급) — 나누어 줌; to distribute; allot

經費撥出 (경비발출) — 예산을 내어 씀; to allocate budget

Dispatch / sending:

撥遣 (발견) — 파견하여 보냄; dispatch

撥運 (발운) — 물자를 운송함; transfer or transport goods

Removing / dispelling:

撥除 (발제) — 없애고 제거함; remove; eliminate

撥開 (발개) — 헤치고 나아감; push apart

Technical / specialized:

撥弦 (발현) — 악기의 줄을 뜯음; pluck strings

撥號 (발호) — 전화 번호를 누름; dialing

Business / administrative:

撥備金 (발비금) — 준비금을 마련함; reserve fund

撥転 (발전) — 전용하여 돌림; reallocation

These illustrate how 撥 is tied to action, regulation, and purposeful management.

《史記·秦始皇本紀》 (Records of the Grand Historian)

「天下初定，務在撥亂。」

“The realm had only just been pacified; the task was to set disorder in order” — 撥 = to put in order; to rectify.

《後漢書·光武帝紀》 (Book of the Later Han)

「撥軍糧以濟急。」

“They allocated military provisions to relieve the emergency” — 撥 = allocate resources.

《宋史·職官志》 (History of Song Dynasty)

「撥置官吏，司所職掌。」

“He assigned and arranged officials according to their duties” — 撥 = assign, manage.

《資治通鑑·唐紀》 (Zizhi Tongjian)

「撥人馬，備巡邏。」

“He dispatched men and horses to prepare for patrol” — 撥 = dispatch.

《荀子·議兵》 (Xunzi)

「撥其疑，明其理。」

“Dispel their doubts and clarify the principles” — 撥 = dispel/remove.

These citations show the core meanings of 撥: to straighten, remove, regulate, allocate, or dispatch.