緯

It is a phono-semantic compound, composed of:

糸 (silk, thread) – semantic element, indicating weaving/textiles;

韋 (wi, “tanned leather, to surround”) – phonetic element.

緯 literally denotes the weft thread in weaving, paired with 經 (warp thread). From this fundamental image, it extended to mean latitude, ordering principles, and structure. In East Asian thought and language, the pairing 經緯 became a powerful metaphor for the warp and weft of society, order, and cosmic pattern.

In Korean, 위 (緯) is mainly seen in scholarly or technical contexts:

경위 (經緯) – warp and weft; also metaphorically “details, whole structure.”

위도 (緯度) – latitude (opposite of longitude 經度).

천위 (天緯) – cosmic order, heavenly pattern (literary/classical).