涯

derived from 厓 (cliff; riverbank) with the addition of the water radical.

水 (water) — semantic indicator

厓 (bank; cliff) — phonetic and semantic base

Thus, 涯 functions as both:

- a semantic clarification (water-related boundary)

- a phono-semantic derivative of 厓.

The earliest meaning is the edge of water, especially:

- a riverbank

- a shore

- the line where land meets water

From this concrete sense developed abstract meanings of limit, boundary, and extremity.

생애 (生涯) — life course

천애 (天涯) — edge of the world

Graphically related characters:

厓 — cliff; bank (original base character)

岸 — shore; embankment

際 — boundary; border

Semantically related characters:

界 — boundary; realm

限 — limit

端 — extremity

Conceptual contrast:

無涯 — boundless

有限 — finite

涯 appears frequently in classical poetry to evoke:

- distance

- separation

- the limits of human experience

A famous expression:

「天涯若比鄰」

“Though at the ends of the earth, we are as neighbors.”

This usage combines geographical remoteness with emotional connection.