傲

Primarily means “to be proud or arrogant,” but it can also carry a positive nuance — “to stand upright, to maintain dignity, to be unbending in spirit.”

Thus, depending on context, it may imply either prideful arrogance or noble independence.

Phono-semantic compound consisting of:

人 (사람 인) — semantic component, indicating relation to human behavior or attitude.

敖 (거만할 오) — phonetic component, also meaning “proud,” “playful,” or “to wander freely.”

Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字):

「傲，慢也。从人，敖聲。」

“傲 means arrogance. Composed of 人 (person) and 敖 (phonetic).”

The character thus depicts a person (人) displaying the posture of 敖 — one who walks proudly or looks down upon others.

Semantic development:

Behavioral sense: to act proudly or arrogantly toward others.

Moral sense: to maintain pride or dignity in the face of injustice.

Literary sense: to express independence, lofty spirit, or unworldly detachment.

Hence, 傲 oscillates between negative pride (오만) and noble pride (자존, 기개) depending on tone and context.

傲 appears widely in both moral and literary contexts to denote pride, dignity, arrogance, or independence.

傲慢 (오만) — arrogance, pride

自傲 (자오) — self-pride, self-respect

傲氣 (오기) — prideful spirit, arrogance

傲然 (오연) — proudly, with dignity

傲骨 (오골) — unyielding integrity (“proud bones”)

傲世 (오세) — disdainful of the world; aloof from worldly concerns

In Confucian ethics, 傲 is often a warning against pride without virtue.

《論語》 (Analects):

「驕傲者，失之於理。」

“The arrogant lose the Way because of their pride.”

However, in Daoist and literary traditions, 傲 can be a symbol of freedom and inner integrity, describing a person unmoved by worldly temptations.

Tao Yuanming (陶淵明):

「不為五斗米折腰，傲然歸去來。」

“I will not bow for five pecks of rice — I return home proudly and free.”

Here, 傲 expresses moral independence — pride not of vanity, but of dignity and self-respect.

《史記》 (Sima Qian):

「士不可以不弘毅，任重而道遠，傲不可長。」

“A scholar must be resolute and enduring, for the road is long and heavy — but arrogance must not grow.”

Symbolic interpretation:

傲 symbolizes the dual nature of pride — it can elevate or corrupt.

In its positive form, it represents noble self-respect and moral independence; in excess, it becomes hubris and vanity.

「有傲骨者，不屈於勢；有傲心者，不受於理。」 (modern aphorism)

“He with proud bones bows to no power; he with proud heart obeys no reason.”

Thus, 傲 stands as a reminder that true dignity arises not from arrogance, but from steadfast virtue.

Ultimately, 傲 expresses the eternal tension between pride and humility, between independence and restraint — a moral balance central to East Asian philosophy.