姻

Phono-semantic compound:

女 (woman) - semantic element, indicating relation to women/family roles.

因 (cause, basis, rely on) - phonetic element, provides the sound “인.”

Thus, the character conveys the idea of women joining households due to “cause/reason” (因), extending to “marriage.”

婚姻 (혼인) — marriage, matrimony

姻親 (인친) — relatives by marriage, in-laws

姻戚 (인척) — affinity, kinship through marriage

姻族 (인족) — family relations by marriage

In East Asian tradition, 婚 (혼) and 姻 (인) are paired to cover both aspects of marriage:

婚: the marriage ceremony itself (ritual, wedding).

姻: the kinship ties created by the marriage.

In Confucian texts, 婚姻 represented not just a union of two individuals, but also a formal alliance of families and clans.