悽

A phono-semantic compound consisting of:

心 (heart) — semantic component, indicating emotion or feeling;

妻 — phonetic component, supplying the sound 처 (qī).

Thus, 悽 literally conveys “a sorrow felt in the heart.”

In modern Korean writing, 悽 appears mainly in classical, literary, or academic contexts.

처량하다 (悽涼하다) — forlorn; pitiful; desolate

처참 (悽慘) — tragic; miserable

비처 (悲悽) — sorrowful

悽 differs from related sorrow characters:

悲 — sadness; grief

哀 — mourning; lament

慟 — intense, overwhelming grief

愁 — melancholy; anxiety

慘 — miserable; tragic

悽 often emphasizes atmospheric sorrow — a lingering emotional bleakness rather than explosive grief.

The distinction between 悽 (heart radical) and 凄 (ice radical) reflects different metaphorical emphases: emotional sorrow versus cold desolation.

Classical citations:

《楚辭》 (The Songs of Chu)

「心悽愴以傷懷」

“My heart is sorrowful and wounded within.”

《文選》 (Wen Xuan)

「秋風悽其薄暮」

“The autumn wind is sorrowful in the fading dusk.”

These examples show its poetic function in describing emotional states and desolate scenery.