幀

Phono-semantic compound consisting of:

巾 (수건 건) — semantic component, meaning cloth, hanging fabric, or textile, here indicating a cloth scroll or hanging material.

貞 (곧을 정) — phonetic component, providing the sound zhēn / jeong and connoting uprightness, steadiness, or firmness.

According to traditional Chinese lexicons (such as Kangxi Zidian, 《康熙字典》):

「幀，畫幅也。从巾，貞聲。」

“幀 means a piece of painting or portrait. Formed from 巾 (‘cloth’) and phonetic 貞 (‘upright, pure’).”

The combination visually suggests a piece of cloth stretched or hung upright, forming a scroll or framed work of art.

畫幀 (화정) — a painting or picture frame

一幀畫 (일정화) — one scroll painting

肖像幀 (초상정) — portrait painting

佛幀 (불탱 / 불정) — Buddhist scroll painting; thangka

幀子 (정자) — picture scroll, framed piece

掛幀 (괘정) — to hang a scroll or framed image

비표준 독음 ‘탱’ is used almost exclusively in Buddhist or artistic contexts, as in 佛幀 (불탱), where it denotes a hanging Buddhist painting, similar in usage to 탱화 (幀畫) in Korean.

The character 幀 historically referred to a piece of silk or cloth stretched vertically for painting or calligraphy.

In ancient China, before the widespread use of framed paintings, artworks and portraits were made on silk or paper mounted on fabric scrolls that could be rolled up and stored — these were called 幀 or 畫幀.

By the Tang and Song dynasties, 幀 came to mean a complete hanging painting mounted on cloth, while 卷 (scroll) often referred to handscrolls that were viewed horizontally.

Thus, 幀 implied a vertical composition for display, associated with portraiture, deities, and ceremonial art.

In East Asian Buddhist culture (especially in Korea, China, and Japan), 幀 acquired sacred connotations.

It came to designate religious paintings (탱화, 幀畫) representing Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, or guardian deities, often displayed in temples during rituals.

The Korean term 탱화 derives from this specialized pronunciation of 幀 (taeng), reflecting its role in ritual visualization and veneration.

In modern usage, 幀 may also mean “frame” in digital or cinematic contexts (e.g., animation frame), though this is an extended technical sense derived from the same notion of a single framed image.

Cultural and symbolic meaning:

The element 巾 (cloth) in 幀 signifies purity, sanctity, and artistic refinement, while 貞 evokes steadfast virtue and upright form.

Together, they express not merely a physical scroll but a harmonious presentation of beauty and truth — the art as moral reflection.

In Buddhist art, the 佛幀 (불탱) is more than a decoration; it is a visual scripture (畫經) — an object of meditation embodying spiritual presence.

Its creation followed strict iconographic rules and ritual purification, reflecting the 貞 (upright, pure) essence within the written form of the character.