酋

Traditionally analyzed as an indicative/compound ideograph:

酉 (유) — associated with fermentation, ritual wine, and authority

八 / 丷 — a graphic marker often used to emphasize or distinguish the upper element

The character historically pointed to the one presiding over ritual wine, a role tied to leadership and authority in early societies. From this ritual centrality arose the meaning “chief” or “leader.”

酋 appears mainly in formal, historical, and journalistic contexts.

Common compounds:

수추 (首酋) — chieftain; head leader

추장 (酋長) — tribal chief

두목 (頭目) — ringleader; boss (near-synonym, different nuance)

In modern texts, 酋 often carries a neutral-to-formal tone, sometimes used to translate “leader” in political or organizational contexts.

Unlike 王 (king) or 君 (ruler), 酋 emphasizes leadership by position or function rather than sovereign rule.

Related characters (leadership & authority):

首 — head; chief

長 — leader; elder

君 — ruler; lord

王 — king

主 — master; head

Among these, 酋 uniquely reflects ritual-origin leadership rather than hereditary kingship.

The upper part of 酉 may appear in two graphic conventions:

⿱八酉 — standard in Korea and Japan

⿱丷酉 — standard in China and Taiwan

Both are considered correct, reflecting regional typographic standards rather than semantic differences.