殖

Phono-semantic compound:

歹 (remains, bones; semantic, associated with decay or transformation);

直 (straight, upright; phonetic element, providing sound value).

Originally referred to decomposition of fat and flesh from bones, implying “decay.” Later shifted semantically to mean “growth, multiplication,” hence “to reproduce, to propagate.”

Semantic range:

- to propagate, to reproduce (plants, animals, humans);

- to increase, to multiply, to enrich;

- figurative: to spread, proliferate.

繁殖 (번식) – reproduction, propagation

蕃殖 (번식) – multiplication, breeding (literary variant)

殖民 (식민) – colonization, settlement

增殖 (증식) – increase, proliferation

養殖 (양식) – aquaculture, artificial breeding

The presence of the radical 歹 (death, decay) shows its origin in the sense of “rotting remains,” but this negative nuance faded early, with meaning shifting to “growth/multiplication.”

In modern Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, the character generally carries a neutral or positive meaning (“to breed, to propagate”), with little connection to its earlier sense of decay.

Forms differ slightly: Chinese simplified/standard form 殖 and traditional 殖 are largely the same, but stroke rendering can vary between regions.