松

A phono-semantic compound:

木 (“tree, wood”) provides the semantic element;

公 (gong, “fair, public”) provides the phonetic element.

Not attested in Oracle Bone inscriptions; appears first in Bronze inscriptions (金文 jinwen).

In East Asian culture, 松 (pine) is one of the “Three Friends of Winter” (歲寒三友) along with bamboo (竹) and plum blossom (梅), symbolizing resilience, longevity, and integrity.

Common in personal names, poetry, and art as a metaphor for endurance and nobility.

Korean Compound Examples:

松樹 (송수) = pine tree;

松柏 (송백) = pine and cypress (symbols of steadfastness);

松風 (송풍) = wind in the pines;

松濤 (송도) = waves through the pines (often metaphorical in poetry);

白松 (백송) = white pine.

Also used as a surname: 송씨 (松氏).