洪

Phono-semantic compound:

水 (water radical) – semantic, indicating water, flood.

共 (together, common) – phonetic element.

The character conveys the image of great, overwhelming water, extending to the ideas of vastness and immensity.

Semantic range:

- wide, great, immense;

- flood, deluge (洪水);

- figurative: vast, grand, magnificent.

홍수 (洪水) – flood

대홍수 (大洪水) – great flood, deluge

홍대한 (洪大韓) – great and vast Korea (poetic usage)

홍음 (洪音) – great sound, resounding voice

홍명 (洪名) – illustrious name

Also used as an abbreviation for Hungary (헝가리) in certain contexts.

Listed in the Kangxi Dictionary (강희자전) on page 621, entry 21.

Often used in classical literature to denote grand scale (홍대한, 홍명) beyond its literal “flood” meaning.