裂

Phono-semantic compound consisting of:

衣 (옷 의) — semantic component meaning “cloth, garment.”

列 (벌일 렬) — phonetic component providing the sound liè and the notion of linear arrangement or separation.

The combination thus conveys “cloth arranged apart” → “cloth torn apart.”

Originally depicting the tearing of fabric, the meaning naturally expanded to any kind of splitting or division — whether of materials, social bonds, or moral integrity.

分裂 (분열) — division, disunity

撕裂 (사렬) — to tear apart violently

破裂 (파렬) — rupture, break, burst

決裂 (결렬) — breakdown, rupture (of negotiations, relations)

裂痕 (렬흔) — crack, fissure

裂開 (렬개) — to split open

爆裂 (폭렬) — explosion, bursting apart

In Confucian and historical texts, 裂 often appears as a warning image against social disunity or moral fragmentation.

國將裂而民不安。

“When the state is about to be torn apart, the people cannot find peace.”

Here, 裂 implies internal discord — the tearing of harmony (和) that sustains a just order.

In ancient mourning customs, 裂衣 (열의) — tearing one’s garment — expressed deep grief and sincerity.

The act symbolized a visible rending of the heart, aligning outer form with inner sorrow.

裂衣以哀，哭以盡誠。

“He tore his garment to express grief and wept to exhaust sincerity.”

In literature, 裂 often evokes natural violence — cracks of thunder, shattering ice, splitting skies — linking human emotion to the upheaval of nature.

雷裂雲霄，風驚萬木。

“Thunder rends the clouds; the wind startles ten thousand trees.”

Thus, 裂 becomes a symbol of powerful transformation — destruction preceding renewal.