囊

Phono-semantic compound:

橐 (탁, bag, sack) – semantic component, indicating a container.

襄 (양, to assist) – phonetic component.

In early oracle bone and bronze inscriptions, 囊 appears as a pictograph of a bag with 貝 (shells, valuables) inside, emphasizing the idea of a pouch for holding goods. Later, in clerical script (隷書), the form was simplified and standardized into its present structure.

囊袋 (낭대) — pouch, bag

藥囊 (약낭) — medicine pouch

口囊 (구낭) — pocket, small bag

囊中之錐 (낭중지추) — “an awl in a pouch,” a metaphor for hidden talent that inevitably shows itself

In Confucian texts, 囊 can metaphorically describe the storage of virtue or knowledge — like a pouch holding treasures that must be cultivated and preserved.

In the Book of Han (漢書) and later literature, 囊中之物 (“a thing already in the bag”) is used to mean something certain, assured — reflecting a worldview where security and preparedness are valued.

Daoist writings occasionally use 囊 in allegories about the human body as a container of vital essence (氣), likening it to a sack that must not be carelessly emptied.

In Buddhist texts, 囊 may appear in imagery about the illusory containment of worldly goods, which cannot truly be “held” forever, pointing toward impermanence (無常).

𣡦 (ancient form with 衣 as additional semantic element).