顯

The modern form comprises:

頁 (머리 혈) — head, face, semantic element (clarity, presence, recognition)

日 (해 일) — sun, brightness, semantic, illumination, clarity

⿱一絲 (초문 of 聯) — ancient component now transformed and simplified in regular script.

Originally the character depicted radiant brightness shining upon the head/face, meaning:

- “to make things bright and clear; to reveal”

- “clarity that reaches the mind/spirit.”

In Korean, 顯(현) appears mainly in formal, academic, philosophical, historical, and technical compounds relating to manifestation, clarity, and display.

Clarity / obviousness:

顯著 (현저) — 두드러짐; remarkable; prominent

顯明 (현명) — 밝고 분명함; clear; distinct

顯然 (현연) — 아주 분명함; manifest; evident

Appearance / manifestation:

顯現 (현현) — 나타나다; to manifest, to reveal (especially metaphysical)

顯化 (현화) — 드러나는 변화; manifestation

顯影 (현영) — 사진 현상; photographic development

Display / visibility:

顯示 (현시) — 보여 줌; display; show

顯露 (현로) — 드러냄; reveal; expose

顯揚 (현양) — 널리 드러내다; to make known; to promote

Honorific / ancestral:

顯祖 (현조) — 선조를 존칭하는 말; honored ancestor

顯考 (현고) — 돌아가신 아버지의 존칭; the late father (honorific)

顯妣 (현비) — 고모친의 존칭; the late mother (honorific)

Philosophical distinction 顯 vs. 現:

顯 — conceptual, metaphysical, moral, intellectual manifestation

現 — physical appearance, observable presence

Thus:

顯然 — “evidently, clearly”

現象 — “phenomenon; physical manifestation”

In ancestral rites, 顯 is used as a prefix indicating reverence.

Classical citations:

《書經·泰誓上》 (The Book of Documents)

「天命靡常，惟德是輔。顯克艱難。」

“Heaven’s mandate does not remain constant; virtue alone assists it. Clarity (顯) overcomes difficulty” — 顯 = illustrious, manifest.

《詩經·大雅·文王》 (The Book of Songs)

「文王陟降，在帝左右，顯允昊天。」

“King Wen ascends and descends by the side of the High Emperor, illustrious and true before Vast Heaven” — 顯 = illustrious, glorious.

《孟子·公孫丑上》 (Mencius)

「君子所以動天地者，非聲色之顯也。」

“What moves Heaven and Earth in the gentleman is not outward display (顯) of sound and color” — 顯 = conspicuous, outwardly manifest.

《荀子·儒效》 (Xunzi)

「明於理者，不顯於辭。」

“Those who understand the principles do not express them in words” — 顯 = to make prominent/showy.

《後漢書·張衡傳》 (Book of the Later Han Dynasty)

「文章煥顯。」

“His writings shone with brilliance.”

These show that 顯 includes senses of clarity, revelation, illustriousness, brilliance, and distinction.

㬎 is not a separate phonetic component historically. It is a reduced or variant form of 顯, not an independent base.

Its similarity to components of 濕 (and other characters) is coincidental.