橋

A phono-semantic compound:

木 (wood) — semantic component, indicates construction with wood, reflecting early bridges made of wooden beams or planks.

喬 (tall; lofty) — phonetic component, provides the pronunciation and contributes the idea of height or arching, which fits the elevated nature of bridges.

Originally, the character referred to raised wooden structures used to cross water or uneven terrain.

橋梁 (교량) — bridge; bridge structure (engineering term)

木橋 (목교) — wooden bridge

石橋 (석교) — stone bridge

鐵橋 (철교) — iron or steel bridge

天橋 (천교) — overpass; pedestrian bridge

Because bridges connect separated spaces, 橋 is often used metaphorically to mean:

- connection

- mediation

- transition between two states or worlds

This symbolic usage is common in literature, philosophy, and modern expressions.

𣘺 (U+2363A)

槗 (U+69D7)

𫞎 (U+2B78E)