紀

Phono-semantic compound:

糸 (실 멱, “thread, string”) — semantic, refers to thread/cords.

己 (몸 기, “self”) — phonetic, provides the sound 기.

Originally indicated the head rope or starting thread of weaving, then metaphorically extended to mean origin, principle, or guiding rule, and further to “record” or “chronicle,” as threads represent the continuous line of events.

紀律 (기율) — discipline, rules

世紀 (세기) — century

紀錄 (기록) — record, document

紀年 (기년) — chronological dating

綱紀 (강기) — laws and discipline, moral order

綱 vs 紀

綱 - the main rope or cable, the strongest supporting or guiding line. Figuratively, the overarching principle or framework.

紀 - the thread or starting strand, from which order, records, or moral rules are derived. Figuratively, the individual thread or code within the greater structure.

They often appear together in contrast:

綱紀 (강기) — literally “ropes and threads,” meaning laws, discipline, moral order.

This pairing symbolizes how a society is bound together: 綱 as the major guiding ropes, 紀 as the finer strands of regulation.