泳

A phono-semantic compound:

水 (water) — semantic element, indicating relation to water

永 (long; enduring) — phonetic element

Originally, 永 itself meant “to swim”, depicting a person moving steadily in water.

Later, 永 was borrowed to mean “long / eternal”, and its original meaning “to swim” was reassigned to a new character: 泳.

Thus, 泳 preserves the original aquatic sense of 永.

수영 (水泳) — swimming

유영 (游泳) — swimming; free swimming

영법 (泳法) — swimming technique

영선수 (泳選手) — swimmer (athlete)

In classical texts, 泳 appears less frequently than 游, but when used, it is literal and physical, often describing:

- swimming across rivers

- ritual bathing

- physical endurance in water

The contrast between 游 and 泳 is already visible in early literature:

游 — free wandering (often mental or spiritual)

泳 — bodily movement in water

泳 is commonly used in East Asian given names, especially as:

- a generation character (항렬자)

- a symbol of vitality, endurance, or fluid strength

Related characters:

游 / 遊 — to wander; to swim freely (free movement; wandering; leisure)

泳 — to swim (physical swimming; technique)

浮 — to float (buoyancy)

渡 — to cross (water)

涉 — to ford; wade (wading through difficulty)