沐

A phono-semantic compound:

水 (수) — semantic component, indicating water / washing

木 (목) — phonetic component, supplying the sound (목 / mù)

Originally referring specifically to washing the hair, the meaning later broadened to bathing the body and figurative senses of receiving or being immersed.

Semantic development:

- hair washing — original, specific action

- bathing — general washing

- figurative immersion — receiving favor or influence

In Korean, 沐 appears mainly in formal, literary, or compound forms; everyday speech uses native verbs.

Common compounds:

목욕 (沐浴) — to bathe

세발 (洗髮 / 沐髮) — hair washing (literary)

은혜를 입다 (沐恩) — to receive grace (classical)

우로를 입다 (沐露) — to be bathed in dew (poetic)

Compared with 浴 (to bathe), 沐 emphasizes rinsing or washing with flowing water, originally of the hair.

Related characters (washing & cleansing):

洗 — to wash

浴 — to bathe

潔 — clean; pure

潤 — to moisten; nourish

淨 — clean; purified

Among these, 沐 preserves the classical nuance of washing by flowing water.