吉

Originally a pictogram / ideogram.

Most scholars explain 吉 as composed of:

口 — mouth, utterance, announcement

士 — a “solemn figure,” a base, or a ritual platform

Thus 吉 conveys the idea of:

- “an auspicious proclamation spoken on a sacred platform”

- “good fortune declared by ritual authority”

Another view (Xu Shen in Shuowen Jiezi《說文解字》) interprets 吉 as:

喜善也 — “joyous and good”

Bronze inscriptions show 吉 as a ritual marker linked with:

- offerings

- divination

- seasonal rites

- governmental proclamations

Thus 吉 originally had strong religious connotations.

吉事 (길사) — auspicious event

吉兆 (길조) — good omen

吉日 (길일) — lucky day

吉祥 (길상) — auspiciousness, good fortune

不吉 (불길) — ominous, unlucky

吉福 (길복) — blessing, good fortune

Literary / ceremonial vocabulary:

吉禮 (길례) — rituals for auspicious occasions

吉語 (길어) — words of blessing

吉神 (길신) — spirit/bringer of good fortune

In personal names:

吉 is extremely common in Korean, Chinese, and Japanese names symbolizing luck, blessing, prosperity.

吉 vs. 善 vs. 祥:

吉 — omen, fortune, outcome

善 — moral goodness

祥 — auspicious sign, blessing from Heaven

吉 is the broadest and oldest concept among them.

The classic duality 吉凶 (길흉):

吉 — auspicious / fortunate

凶 — inauspicious / harmful

Used in divination, rites, and fortune-telling.

Classical citations:

《易經·繫辭上》 (Book of Changes – “Appended Statements”)

「吉者，百事之所成也。」

“Auspiciousness is that by which all affairs are brought to success” — 吉 = favorable outcome

《史記·五帝本紀》 (Records of the Grand Historian)

「日月合璧，五星連珠，天下為吉。」

“Sun and moon aligned; five planets lined up—this was a sign of great auspiciousness for the realm.”

《詩經·小雅·吉日》 (The Book of Songs)

「吉日維何？吉日庚寅。」

“What day is auspicious? It is the fortunate day, Gengyin.”

《禮記·禮運》 (The Book of Rites)

「吉事先告。」

“Auspicious events must first be announced.”

This links 吉 with ritual pronouncements.

Confucian commentators use 吉 to describe virtuous conduct yielding auspicious results.

𠮷 (U+20BB7) — the same upper component, lower part 土 instead of 士

Used frequently in Japanese surnames (e.g., 吉田 → 𠮷田)

This form arose due to script evolution and later became a culturally preferred variant in certain regions of Japan.

Though rarely used in China or Korea, 𠮷 has cultural prestige in Japan because of its association with:

- good fortune

- particular families (e.g., 吉田)

- legal debates around correct printing of surnames