縮

Phono-semantic compound:

糸 (실 사, 가는실 멱) — semantic component, denoting threads or things capable of being drawn, twisted, or tightened.

宿 (잘 숙, 별자리 수) — phonetic component, lending the sound suō (OC s-luk) and the sense of “to collect or stay.”

Thus, 縮 originally meant to draw threads together, later generalized to contracting or drawing inward in any sense.

In Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字):

「縮，斂也。从糸，宿聲。」

“縮 means to gather in; composed of 糸 (‘thread’) and phonetic 宿.”

Here, 斂 (“to draw in, to collect”) clarifies the original physical action of tightening threads — the basis of all later meanings.

縮小 (축소) — to reduce; to shrink in scale

縮圖 (축도) — a reduced map or miniature representation

縮寫 (축사) — abbreviated writing; contraction

收縮 (수축) — contraction; tightening

縮減 (축감) — reduction; decrease

退縮 (퇴축) — to shrink back; to retreat or recoil

Kangxi Dictionary (康熙字典, vol. 1041):

「縮，斂也，退也，止也。」

“縮 means to gather in, to withdraw, or to stop.”

Book of Later Han (後漢書 · 馬融傳):

「雖欲自縮，勢不容也。」

“Even if he wished to withdraw himself, circumstances would not allow it” — 自縮 here conveys to retreat modestly or to humble oneself.

Zhuangzi (莊子 · 齊物論):

「縮而藏之，神明之府也。」

“He shrinks inward and hides it — this is the abode of the spirit’s clarity” — The verb 縮 acquires spiritual connotation, signifying inward concentration.

Li Ji (禮記 · 曲禮):

「縮酒而不辭。」

“He declines to drink wine, yet without refusal” — 縮酒 literally “to draw back the wine,” figuratively “to abstain modestly.”

In Confucian ethics, 縮 denotes modest restraint — “縮己” meaning to contract oneself, the virtue of humility and self-control.

In Daoist philosophy, it suggests the movement of return — drawing inward to preserve vitality (縮以養氣 “contracting to nurture qi”).

In Buddhist literature, 縮 sometimes conveys reduction of attachment, as in “縮心” (to draw in the heart from worldly desires).

Modern: widely used in mathematics, engineering, and psychology (e.g., 縮比 “scale ratio,” 收縮壓 “systolic pressure”).