彌

A phono-semantic compound composed of:

弓 (bow) — semantic component

爾 (you; thus) — phonetic component, supplying the sound "mi"

Despite the presence of 弓 “bow,” the character does not primarily denote archery or the physical action of drawing a bow. That interpretation is a later, secondary association and is not supported as the original semantic core in classical character analysis.

In early usage, 彌 expressed the idea of:

- something being filled without gaps

- spreading evenly over an entire space

- pervasive completeness

From this spatial sense developed more abstract meanings such as “extensive,” “enduring,” and “universal.”

彌滿 (미만) — full; completely filled

彌補 (미보) — to compensate; to make up for

彌散 (미산) — to diffuse; to spread widely

彌勒 (미륵) — Maitreya Buddha

彌 is widely used in Sino-Buddhist translations as a phonetic character representing the sound "mi".

Notable examples:

彌勒 — Maitreya, the future Buddha

阿彌陀佛 — Amitābha Buddha

This usage originates in the translation of Sanskrit scriptures into Classical Chinese and subsequently spread throughout East Asia (China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam). The function here is primarily phonetic rather than semantic.

彌 fundamentally denotes fullness, pervasion, and extension.

Related characters:

滿 — full; complete

遍 — everywhere; throughout

瀰 — to spread extensively (especially water or mist)

補 — to repair; to supplement

勒 — as in 彌勒 (Maitreya)

Classical citations:

Book of Changes (Yijing, 《易經》)

「彌綸天地之道」

“Pervading and ordering the Way of Heaven and Earth.”

Here, 彌 conveys the sense of pervasive completeness.

Maitreya Sutra

「彌勒當來下生」

“Maitreya will descend in the future.”