稿

Semantic–phonetic compound:

禾 (“grain, rice plant”) — semantic component, indicates relation to crops, stalks, rice plants.

高 (“tall; high”) — phonetic component, supplies the sound 고, and suggests the sense of a tall standing stalk.

Originally referring to cut grain stalks (straw), the meaning extended metaphorically to “draft writing,” something still in an unfinished, raw state — parallel to harvested but unprocessed grain.

원고 (原稿) — manuscript, draft

기고 (稿) — a contributed article

초고 (草稿) — rough draft

투고 (稿) — submission of a manuscript

Historically, the two meanings are related: grain stalks that have been cut but not yet processed → a manuscript draft that is prepared but unfinished.

稿 contrasts with 文 (completed writing) and 草 (very preliminary draft).

In Korean, 고료(稿料) is a Sino-Korean word meaning "writing fee" but is less commonly used today.

Classical citations:

《詩經・小雅》 (The Book of Songs)

「黍稷非馨，明德惟馨，稿秸其華。」

“Millet and grain are not fragrant; only virtue is. The grain-stalks flourish.”

Here 稿 refers to grain stalks.