柚

A phono-semantic compound:

木 (tree) — semantic component, clearly marks it as a tree-borne fruit

由 (origin; from) — phonetic component, supplies the sound

Originally, 柚 referred broadly to a large citrus fruit growing on trees.

In ancient and classical Chinese usage, it most commonly denoted what is now called the pomelo (Citrus maxima).

In Korean usage, 柚 is strongly associated with yuzu, not pomelo.

柚子 (유자) — yuzu

Widely used in:

유자차 (yuzu tea)

유자청 (yuzu syrup)

유자향 (yuzu fragrance)

Semantic divergence by language:

Although yuzu and pomelo are different citrus fruits botanically, both belong to the same citrus lineage, and early East Asian classifications grouped them together.

As citrus cultivation diversified regionally:

- China preserved the pomelo meaning

- Korea and Japan specialized the character for yuzu

This is a classic example of semantic narrowing by region.

In Korea and Japan, 柚 carries strong seasonal and cultural associations, especially with winter.

In East Asian traditional medicine and cuisine, yuzu is valued for fragrance, preservation and warming properties.

Despite sharing the same character, 柚 does not mean the same fruit across languages, making it a notable case of Sinosphere semantic divergence.