倫

Phono-semantic compound:

人 (亻, person radical) - semantic, indicates human affairs.

侖 (to arrange, to consider) - phonetic, provides sound and the sense of order or arrangement.

Thus, 倫 signifies the ordered relations between people, forming the basis of morality and ethics.

Semantic range:

- human relations, social order (인륜, 人倫);

- ethics, morality, principles (윤리, 倫理);

- sequence, order, coherence.

人倫 (인륜) — human relations, morality

倫理 (윤리) — ethics, moral principles

天倫 (천륜) — natural bonds, especially family relations

倫常 (윤상) — social norms, proper order of human relations

綱倫 (강륜) — the great principles of ethics

In Confucian thought, 倫 is central to 人倫 (human relations) — the Five Relationships (五倫): ruler–subject, father–son, husband–wife, elder–younger, friend–friend. These relationships formed the foundation of Confucian ethics and social order.

倫理 (ethics) became a standard term in East Asian philosophy to denote the study and practice of moral principles governing human life.

The term also highlights the Confucian emphasis on social harmony through proper roles and responsibilities.