庶

A phono-semantic compound:

火 (불 화, “fire”) — semantic component

石 (돌 석) — phonetic component

Originally, 庶 referred to food cooked over fire, especially food prepared in quantity.

From “food prepared in bulk,” the meaning shifted to “many” and then to “the masses of people.”

As this semantic shift occurred, the original “to boil / to cook” meaning was taken over by 煮 (삶을 자).

Semantic development:

- to cook / boil over fire

- food prepared in quantity

- many; numerous

- the masses of people

- non-noble status

This progression explains why 庶 often carries a social-class nuance rather than a purely numerical one.

庶民 (서민) — common people; the masses

庶子 (서자) — son of a concubine

庶務 (서무) — general affairs; routine administration

庶流 (서류) — the lower classes; common rank

庶幾 (서기) — almost; nearly (classical / literary)

The character retains a quiet moral tone: numerous, humble, foundational.

庶民 (common people) is a core term in Confucian political theory.

庶子 historically referred to sons born of concubines, reflecting strict lineage hierarchy.

Comparison with related characters:

衆 / 众 — a crowd; multitude

民 — the people (neutral, collective)

庶 — the people as non-elite, contrasted with rulers or nobility

凡 — ordinary; commonplace

Classical citations:

《書經》 (The Book of Documents)

「庶民惟邦本。」

“The common people are the foundation of the state.”

《孟子》 (Mencius)

「得乎丘民而為天子。」

“He who gains the people may become Son of Heaven.”

(Interpreted in classical commentaries using 庶民)

《左傳》 (Zuo Zhuan)

「庶人之怒。」

“The anger of the common people.”

These examples show 庶 as a key term in political and moral philosophy, emphasizing the importance of the populace.