辱

Ideogrammic compound consisting of:

辰 (별 진) — semantic component, originally depicting a plough or an emblem of the Earthly Branch “진(辰)”, associated with time, cultivation, and toil.

寸 (마디 촌) — semantic component denoting the hand, action, or small measure.

The earliest bronze and seal script forms show a hand acting upon or beneath the sign of 辰, suggesting “to bow down, to serve, or to abase.”

In Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字), Xu Shen defines it as:

「辱，下也。从辰从寸。」— “辱 means ‘to be low’ or ‘to be brought down’; composed of 辰 and 寸.”

Thus, the original sense was “to make low” or “to abase,” from which later meanings such as “humiliation, shame, disgrace” developed.

Used in Korean compounds denoting shame, insult, or loss of honour:

辱 (욕될) — disgrace, humiliation

受辱 (수욕) — to suffer humiliation

恥辱 (치욕) — shame, dishonour

國辱 (국욕) — national disgrace

侮辱 (모욕) — to insult, to offend

奇辱 (기욕) — extraordinary humiliation

雪辱 (설욕) — to wash away disgrace, to avenge an insult

In Confucian and classical writings, 辱 often stands as the antithesis of 榮 (영, honour). The phrase 「榮辱之間」 expresses the moral polarity between honour and disgrace.

The Liji (禮記·曲禮) notes: 「恥辱不辯，則不可以立於世。」— “He who cannot distinguish shame from honour cannot stand in the world.”

In historical Korean texts, such as Samguk Sagi (三國史記) and Goryeosa (高麗史), the term 치욕(恥辱) frequently appears in moral and political contexts, referring to national humiliation or personal disgrace.

During the late Joseon period, writers used the compound 설욕(雪辱) to describe regaining dignity after insult — literally “to wash away shame.”

The character 辱 thus conveys both a social and spiritual dimension: the abasement of status and the inner experience of shame. It represents the condition of being lowered — physically, morally, or symbolically — and stands opposed to the ideals of 榮 (honour) and 德 (virtue).