貫

Phono-semantic compound:

貝 (bèi, “cowry shell, money”) — semantic component, relating to valuables or counting.

毌 (guàn, “to pierce through”) — phonetic component, depicting a string threaded through a hole.

The ancient form of 貫 directly represents a cord passing through a group of shells or coins, which were used as currency.

Thus, it visually embodies the act of stringing objects together — the basis of its meanings “to pierce,” “to connect,” and later “a string of coins.”

In early Chinese texts, 貫 was used in economic, military, and philosophical contexts:

경제 (Economy): 一貫錢 - “one string of coins.”

사상 (Philosophy): 一以貫之 - “to be consistent through all things” — Confucius’ famous expression of unified moral principle.

지명 / 성씨 (Lineage): In Korea, 本貫 (“ancestral origin”) preserves the sense of “threaded connection” to one’s birthplace or clan.

Cultural note:

The imagery of 貫 — a thread binding many elements — symbolizes unity, integrity, and continuity.

In Confucian philosophy, it represents a single moral principle penetrating all virtues (一以貫之).

In everyday culture, its derivative meanings of “consistency,” “coherence,” and “integration” continue in expressions across East Asian languages.