綱

Phono-semantic compound:

糸 (실 사, “thread, string”) — semantic, denotes threads, ropes, weaving.

岡 (산등성이 강, “ridge, hill”) — phonetic, provides the sound 강.

Originally meant the main rope or head-cord of a fishing net, which holds and ties the whole net together; by metaphorical extension, came to mean “main principle,” “essential guideline.”

綱領 (강령) — guiding principle, program, manifesto

大綱 (대강) — general outline, main points

綱紀 (강기) — discipline, rules

網綱 (망강) — net and cord (whole structure of a net)

綱 vs 紀

綱 - the main rope or cable, the strongest supporting or guiding line. Figuratively, the overarching principle or framework.

紀 - the thread or starting strand, from which order, records, or moral rules are derived. Figuratively, the individual thread or code within the greater structure.

They often appear together in contrast:

綱紀 (강기) — literally “ropes and threads,” meaning laws, discipline, moral order.

This pairing symbolizes how a society is bound together: 綱 as the major guiding ropes, 紀 as the finer strands of regulation.