廉

Phono-semantic compound consisting of:

广 (집 엄) — semantic component, meaning “building” or “house,” indicating a place or structure.

兼 (겸할 겸) — phonetic component, providing the sound lián / ryeom and carrying the sense of combining or uniting.

Thus, 廉 originally described the side or edge of a building (the upright part of a structure) and later came to symbolize uprightness, integrity, and moral firmness — qualities that metaphorically “support” a person’s character as the wall supports a house.

According to Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字):

「廉，堂檐也。从广兼聲。」

“廉 means the eaves or side wall of a hall. Formed from 广 (‘house’) and phonetic 兼 (‘to combine’).”

Over time, the literal meaning of “edge” or “side of a house” evolved metaphorically into uprightness and moral restraint, just as a straight wall stands firm and true.

廉潔 (염결) — honesty; integrity; incorruptibility

廉直 (염직) — upright and just

清廉 (청렴) — pure and honest; uncorrupted

廉恥 (염치) — sense of shame; moral conscience

節廉 (절렴) — frugality and honesty

貪廉 (탐렴) — greed and integrity (as moral opposites)

廉價 (염가) — cheap; low price (lit. “modest cost”)

廉租房 (염조방) — low-rent housing (modern Chinese usage)

In early texts, 廉 held both architectural and ethical meanings — from the edge of a structure to the moral structure of character.

The Book of Rites (《禮記》) uses 廉 in the sense of both boundary and restraint:

「廉隅不踰，則為君子。」

“He who does not overstep moral boundaries is a true gentleman.”

In Confucian ethics, 廉 became a key virtue paired with 恥 (sense of shame):

「士有廉恥，則國有氣節。」 (Xunzi, 《荀子·不苟篇》)

“When scholars possess integrity and shame, the nation possesses moral backbone.”

This phrase led to the enduring idiom 廉恥 (integrity and shame) — the foundation of ethical behavior.

A person without 廉 (honesty) or 恥 (shame) was considered morally bankrupt.

Daoist and Buddhist writings further expanded the term to mean inner purity — a mind free from greed and attachment.

In Buddhist monastic codes, 廉 symbolized moderation in possessions and detachment from worldly gain.

In modern Chinese and Korean, 廉潔 remains a central term in both personal morality and public administration, especially in contexts of anti-corruption and good governance.

Cultural and symbolic meaning:

In architecture, 廉 originally referred to the upright, straight edge of a hall or roof — the part that defines the building’s outline.

In moral metaphor, it came to mean the upright edge of the human spirit — the line that must not bend before greed or temptation.

Thus, 廉 embodies both structure and virtue, symbolizing that integrity, like architecture, depends on steadfast alignment and balance.

From its literal origin as “wall or eaves” to its ethical meaning of honesty, restraint, and integrity, the character expresses the enduring ideal of a person who stands straight — unbent by greed, unsoiled by corruption.

In essence, 廉 is the moral wall of human character: firm, clean, and unwavering.