腕

Phono-semantic compound:

肉 (“flesh”) — semantic component, indicates a body part

宛 (wan) — phonetic component, provides the sound

Thus 腕 originally referred to a fleshy bodily joint, specifically the wrist area.

Korean semantic shift (19th–20th c.):

- meaning broadened from “wrist” → “forearm” → “arm”

- hence “완력(腕力)” and “수완(手腕)” evolved in Korean.

완력 (腕力) — arm strength; physical power

수완 (手腕) — originally “wrist,” later figuratively “skill; ability; resourcefulness”

기완 (臂腕) — the arm and wrist

완골 (腕骨) — wrist bone

완관절 (腕關節) — wrist joint

완시계 (腕時計) — wristwatch (lit. “wrist timepiece”)

腕 is semantically linked with words describing manual skill, dexterity, and capability due to the association with hand usage.

Figurative meanings in East Asia developed separately in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese.