橘

A phono-semantic compound:

木 (“tree, wood”) — semantic element, indicating a tree/plant.

矞 (yul / jú, “awl, pierce”) — phonetic element, giving the sound.

橘子 (귤자) — tangerine, mandarin orange

橘園 (귤원) — citrus orchard

橘皮 (귤피) — dried tangerine peel (used in traditional medicine)

柑橘 (감귤) — citrus fruits in genera

橘 has long cultural associations in China and Korea: the fruit’s bright orange color and sweet flavor symbolize prosperity, good fortune, and abundance.

In Chinese tradition, dried tangerine peel (陳皮, 陳橘皮) is widely used in herbal medicine.

The idiom 橘化為枳 (“tangerine turns into trifoliate orange when planted north of the Huai River”) illustrates how environment influences character, a classical metaphor from Huainanzi.

In Japan, 橘 (tachibana) refers to a native citrus species, with strong ties to poetry and imperial symbolism.