漆

Originally referred specifically to lacquer derived from the sap of the lacquer tree (옻나무, Toxicodendron vernicifluum), later extended to mean “to apply any coating or paint.”

Phono-semantic compound consisting of:

水 (물 수) — semantic component, signifying liquid or fluid.

桼 (옻 칠) — phonetic component, indicating sound and also originally meaning “lacquer tree.”

According to Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字):

「漆，木汁也。从水桼聲。」

“漆 means the sap of a tree; composed of 水 and the sound 桼.”

The earlier character 桼 itself is an ideogrammic compound:

木 (나무 목) + 水 (물 수) → 桼, meaning “the liquid that comes from a tree.”

Bronze and seal script forms show a depiction of sap flowing from a tree, suggesting the extraction of resinous fluid used for coating.

When 桼 fell out of use, 漆 (literally “water + lacquer”) took over both its pronunciation and meaning, becoming the standard character for “lacquer” and “to paint.”

漆 (옻, 칠) — lacquer; to lacquer

漆器 (칠기) — lacquerware

漆黑 (칠흑) — pitch-black; jet black

螺鈿漆器 (나전칠기) — mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquerware

油漆 (유칠) — paint, varnish (lit. “oil-lacquer”)

生漆 (생칠) — raw lacquer (unrefined sap)

乾漆 (건칠) — dry lacquer technique

七漆 (칠칠) — phonetic compound form, sometimes confused with “seven” (七)

In modern Korean, “칠하다” is a general verb for “to paint or coat,” regardless of material, though originally specific to lacquerwork.

In contrast, Japanese distinguishes between 漆 (うるし) for natural lacquer and 塗 (ぬる) for painting or coating.

In early Chinese and Korean material culture, 漆 held deep artistic and ritual significance.

The Kaogong Ji (考工記) describes lacquer as an essential finish for ritual vessels, valued for its durability and luster.

The Shiji (史記·夏本紀) mentions lacquered coffins and armor, underscoring its importance in craftsmanship and burial rites.

In Korean tradition, lacquer art reached exceptional refinement, especially in 나전칠기 (螺鈿漆器) — inlaid mother-of-pearl lacquerware — representing a harmony of organic material and meticulous craftsmanship.

Metaphorically, the character 漆 also came to evoke extreme blackness through the phrase 칠흑(漆黑), meaning “dark as lacquer.”

This usage draws on the deep glossy black color of traditional lacquer coatings.

Phonetically, 漆 (칠) shares its reading with 七 (“seven”), and in older texts, the variant form 柒 sometimes replaced 七 to avoid confusion with the color or substance character.

Thus, 漆 unites in its form and meaning the tangible and the aesthetic — the flow of sap, the craft of coating, and the luminous darkness of polished lacquer — a symbol of endurance, artistry, and transformative refinement.