餞

A phono-semantic compound composed of:

食 (food; to eat) — semantic component, indicates eating, feasting, or a meal;

戔 (small; remaining) — phonetic component, supplies the sound "jeon" and suggests portioning or repeated acts.

The structure conveys sending someone off with food, i.e. a farewell meal, which is the cultural core of the character.

餞 originally referred not to “sending” in general, but specifically to holding a farewell banquet for someone about to depart.

The act of sending is ritualized through shared food, marking separation with goodwill.

Meanings developed from ritual action to abstract verb:

- farewell banquet — eating together before departure;

- ritual send-off — formally accompanying someone as they leave;

- general sense of seeing off — “to send” with respectful intent.

Unlike ordinary “send,” 餞 retains a ceremonial and emotional tone.

In Korean, 餞 appears mainly in literary, historical, or ceremonial contexts.

Classical:

전송 (餞送) — to see off with a farewell feast

송전 (送餞) — sending someone off (formal style)

Literary:

설전 (設餞) — to arrange a farewell banquet

전별 (餞別) — farewell gift or banquet

餞 emphasizes social ritual, not logistics.

Often contrasted with:

送 — to send (neutral, general)

別 — to part; separation

The character encodes departure softened by hospitality.

Related characters:

送 — to send

別 — to part

宴 — banquet

飲 — to drink

食 — food; to eat

Among these, 餞 expresses farewell through ritual hospitality.

Classical / literary usage:

設宴餞行 — “To set a banquet to see someone off”

臨別設餞 — “On the eve of departure, a farewell feast was held”