曠

Phono-semantic compound:

日 (sun, day) – semantic element, suggesting light, openness, brightness.

廣 (broad, wide) – phonetic element, providing the sound and reinforcing the idea of spaciousness.

Together the character conveys “a wide, sunlit emptiness,” extending to the senses of vastness, openness, or clarity.

Semantic range:

- to be empty, unoccupied; void;

- to be vast, spacious, open (as a field, plain, or wilderness);

- bright, clear (associated with sunlight);

- figurative: broad-minded, tolerant, or unconstrained;

曠野 (광야) – wilderness, open plain

曠大 (광대) – vast, immense

曠古 (광고) – since ancient times, extremely old

曠課 (광과) – truancy, being absent from class (lit. “empty lesson”)

曠達 (광달) – magnanimous, free-spirited

The bright/open nuance comes from the 日 element, while 廣 anchors the wide/spacious meaning.

In classical literature, 曠 often connotes an expansive natural setting, emphasizing both emptiness and openness.