• bone;
  • skeleton;

Etymology

A phono-semantic compound composed of:

(bone) — semantic component, clearly classifies the character within the domain of bones and the skeletal body

(each; respective) — phonetic component, supplies the sound "gyeok" and contributes the sense of separate or individual parts.

The structure suggests distinct skeletal elements, emphasizing bones as discrete components rather than living flesh.

骼 refers primarily to bones stripped of flesh, often evoking:

- skeletal structure

- exposed or bleached bones

- emains after death

Because of this nuance, 骼 carries a strong anatomical or mortuary connotation, rather than a neutral reference to bones in a living body.

Usage in Korean

骼 is not common in everyday Korean, where 뼈 or -based compounds are preferred.

The character appears mainly in medical, anatomical, literary, or classical contexts.

Common compounds:

백골 (白骼 / 白骨) — bare bones; skeleton

골격 (骨骼) — skeleton; framework

해골 (骸骼) — skull and bones; skeletal remains

Additional notes

Compared to , which can be neutral or even metaphorical (“core”, “spirit”), 骼 is concrete and physical, often evoking mortality.

Related characters:

— bone; framework

— remains; corpse

— body

— marrow

屍 — corpse

Among these, 骼 focuses most specifically on the structural bones themselves, stripped of life and flesh.

Classical-style usage:

荒野白骼 — “white bones in the desolate fields”

暴露骸骼 — “exposed skeletal remains”

Such expressions are commonly used in historical writing to evoke war, famine, or large-scale death.

Alternative forms

䯊 — Unicode U+4BCA ( radical, 5 strokes)

髂 — Unicode U+9AC2 ( radical, 9 strokes)

These characters are historically treated as variant or interchangeable forms in certain classical texts, all referring to skeletal bones, though 髂 later specialized in anatomical usage (hip bone).

ppyeo
gyeok
Kangxi radical:188, + 6
Strokes:16
Unicode:U+9ABC
Cangjie input:
  • 月月竹水口 (BBHER)
Composition:
  • ⿰ 骨 各

Neighboring characters in the dictionary

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