欌

A phono-semantic compound formed from:

木 (나무 목) — semantic component, indicating that the object is made of wood.

藏 (감출 장) — phonetic component, providing the sound jang and the idea of “to store” or “to conceal.”

Thus, 欌 literally means “a wooden object for storing or concealing things.”

Graphical notes:

The left element 木 explicitly indicates a wooden object.

The right element 藏 conveys both phonetic and semantic value — 藏 meaning “to store, to keep hidden,” perfectly matching the function of a wardrobe.

The structure closely parallels the logic of other furniture-related characters, such as:

案 (안, “table”) — 木 + 安

櫃 (궤, “chest”) — 木 + 匱

櫥 (주, “cabinet”) — 木 + 除

This reveals a consistent East Asian orthographic pattern for naming wooden household furniture.

欌 is a Korean national character (國字) — created and used exclusively in Korea — that denotes a wardrobe or storage cabinet, equivalent to 장롱 in modern Korean.

It refers specifically to a large wooden piece of furniture with hinged doors, used to keep garments, bedding, or valuables — an essential item in traditional Korean households.

It appears chiefly in Korean texts written in classical Chinese (한문), especially in household records, inventories, and property descriptions.

衣欌 (의장) — wardrobe for clothing

書欌 (서장) — bookcase or document chest

飾欌 (식장) — display cabinet for ornaments

The 장롱 (欌) holds significant symbolic and practical value in Korean culture:

Traditionally part of a bride’s dowry (혼수품).

Crafted from high-quality woods such as oak, zelkova, or paulownia (오동나무).

Often adorned with brass hinges and locks, symbolizing wealth and permanence.

In some regional traditions, garments of ancestors or ceremonial robes were stored in the 欌, granting it ritual importance.

In this way, the word 欌 embodies both practical craftsmanship and cultural symbolism — linking woodwork, household continuity, and the safeguarding of family possessions.

「家中有大欌一，貯衣服焉。」

“In the house there is a large wardrobe in which clothes are stored.”

In modern Korean, the native word 장롱 (欌籠 or 欌櫃) is used to denote a wardrobe, often passed down as family furniture or part of a wedding dowry (혼수).

As a national character, 欌 is not attested in Chinese or Japanese sources and is recognized as part of the Korean Hanja corpus developed to express native cultural items (such as tools, furniture, and food) not found in China.

Beyond its literal sense, 欌 represents the Korean household ideal of preserving family order, modest wealth, and domestic continuity through carefully crafted furniture.