倉

Originally a pictographic character representing a small granary or storage building.

The upper part (亽 or 亼) depicts the slanted roof of the granary.

The middle element (𠁣) represents the granary’s door or central opening through which grain is poured or removed.

The lower part (口) indicates the foundation or entrance base, symbolizing the stone platform or foundation on which the granary stands.

Hence the overall image is that of a three-tiered storage house used for grain — the earliest and most essential form of food security in ancient agrarian life.

In Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字):

「倉，穀藏也。象屋形。」

“倉 means a granary for storing grain; it represents the form of a building.”

Thus 倉 was not derived from semantic or phonetic components but from the visual structure of a building designed to hold grain.

倉庫 (창고) — warehouse; storehouse

穀倉 (곡창) — granary; barn (literally “grain store”)

倉卒 (창졸) — hasty; sudden; unexpected

倉皇 (창황) — flustered; panic-stricken

倉儲 (창저) — storage; reserve supply

倉糧 (창량) — stored grain or provisions

冷倉 (냉창) — cold storage; refrigerated warehouse

Kangxi Dictionary (康熙字典, vol. 69):

「倉，穀藏也。从人，口聲。」

“倉 means a granary for grain; its form includes the ‘person’ shape only by appearance, not meaning.”

In Confucian and historical texts, 倉 stands as a reminder that the stability of the heart and of the state begins with full granaries — a testament to the inseparable link between livelihood, virtue, and civilization.

Book of Rites (禮記 · 王制):

「天子有大倉，以備凶年。」

“The Son of Heaven has great granaries to prepare against years of famine.”

Book of Han (漢書 · 食貨志):

「倉廩實而知禮節。」

“When the granaries are full, the people know propriety and moderation” — classic expression linking economic security to moral stability — material sufficiency fosters moral cultivation — a direct link between food security and social harmony.

Zuo Commentary (左傳 · 昭公元年):

「倉卒無備。」

“He was caught unprepared in a sudden emergency” — showing the figurative use of 倉 for “sudden” or “hurried.”

The figurative meaning arose from the association between emergency grain distribution and sudden crisis, hence 倉 came to signify “urgent or unexpected situations.”

Economic importance:

Ancient Chinese states maintained national granaries (大倉, 中倉, 小倉) to regulate famine relief and stabilize grain prices. The concept was inherited in Korea, Japan, and Vietnam under Confucian governance.

Linguistic note:

倉 frequently interchanges with 蒼 in classical texts due to phonetic closeness (Old Chinese tsʰaŋ), especially in poetic or descriptive usage (e.g., 蒼天 = 倉天, “the blue sky”).