理

Composition:

玉 (옥, jade) — serves as the semantic component, symbolizing something precious, orderly, and valuable.

里 (리, village) — serves as the phonetic component and also contributes to the sense of “structure” or “arrangement.”

Original sense: In ancient times, 理 literally referred to polishing and arranging jade so that its surface was smooth and flawless. From this physical act of “ordering and arranging” jade, the meaning broadened to:

“to arrange,” “to manage,” “to govern,”

to “reason,” “principle,” and “logic.”

In Confucian texts, 理 carries deep philosophical weight, referring to the universal principles governing the cosmos and human ethics (e.g., 성리학 Neo-Confucianism).