馳

Phono-semantic compound:

馬 (말 마) — semantic component, indicating relation to horses or running.

也 (어조사 야) — phonetic component, providing the sound chí / chi.

Hence, 馳 literally means “to move like a horse”, denoting speed, forward motion, and energy.

In Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字):

「馳，驟也。从馬，也聲。」

“馳 means to gallop swiftly; composed of 馬 (‘horse’) and phonetic 也.”

Semantic evolution:

Original (literal): to gallop, to run quickly (of horses).

Extended (figurative): to rush, to hurry, to pursue something eagerly.

Abstract: to spread widely (of fame, reputation, or emotion).

Intellectual/metaphorical: to let thoughts, imagination, or ambition travel far (馳想, 馳情).

馳名 (치명) — to become famous; well-known (“name that runs afar”)

馳騁 (치빙 / 치빙할) — to gallop freely; to act without restraint

馳道 (치도) — an imperial road for royal chariots

馳走 (치주) — to run quickly; to hurry

馳想 (치상) — to let one’s mind race or yearn afar

風馳電掣 (풍치전철) — “as swift as wind and lightning”

Kangxi Dictionary (康熙字典, vol. 1427):

「馳，走也；又疾也。」

“馳 means to run; also to move swiftly.”

Book of Odes (詩經 · 小雅):

「駟不及舌，言出必馳。」

“A team of four horses cannot catch up with words once spoken” — 馳 used metaphorically for the speed of speech.

Analects (論語 · 子罕篇):

「志在四方者，不馳於小利。」

“He whose mind is set on the four directions does not race after small gains” — moral sense: not to rush blindly.

Records of the Grand Historian (史記 · 淮陰侯列傳):

「名馳天下。」

“His fame raced through all under Heaven” — 馳 as “to spread swiftly.”

Cultural and philosophical notes:

In Confucian texts, 馳 often appears in a moral sense — to restrain haste or ambition (不馳於小利).

In Daoist and literary writings, 馳 evokes freedom and mental expansion — letting the spirit gallop beyond the world (心馳神往).

In imperial usage, 馳道 (royal avenue) referred to exclusive roads where only the emperor’s or nobles’ carriages could travel swiftly.

Whether describing the thundering rush of horses or the restless surge of human ambition, 馳 captures the essence of unrestrained motion — the forward sweep of vitality and pursuit.