棺

Phono-semantic compound:

木 (나무 목) — semantic component, indicating “wood” or “wooden object.”

官 (벼슬 관) — phonetic component, providing the pronunciation guān.

The composition reflects the literal meaning “a wooden (木) container (官) for the dead.”

In ancient usage, it simply referred to any wooden chest or enclosure, but its meaning narrowed to “coffin” in ritual and mortuary contexts.

In ancient Chinese funerary tradition, a burial often used both 棺 and 槨:

棺 (coffin) — the inner wooden box holding the body.

槨 (outer case) — a stone or wooden shell protecting the coffin.

This dual structure reflected respect for the deceased and belief in the body’s continued spiritual significance after death.

In Korean Confucian funeral rites, the 관(棺) remains a central symbol of filial piety (효, hyo), representing care for the body even after life has ended.

The preparation of the coffin, often made of pine wood, was an act of reverence toward the departed.