腫

Phono-semantic compound):

肉 (“flesh, body”) — semantic component, indicates relation to the body

重 (“heavy, mass”) — phonetic component, provides sound (zhong / jong) and also implies “heavy, swollen”

Thus 腫 originally referred to the flesh becoming heavy and distended → swelling, boils.

The simplified form 肿 removes the “meat” radical form and keeps a simpler structure, but preserves the phonetic.

Korean medical terminology preserves 腫 in specialized vocabulary.

종기 (腫氣) — boil, abscess

수종 (水腫) — edema, dropsy

비종 (脾腫) — enlargement of the spleen

종창 (腫脹) — swelling, edema

종양 (腫瘍) — tumor, neoplasm

탈장 (脫腸) — hernia (literally “gut swelling/outgrowth”)

腫 belongs to the large family of “flesh/body radical” characters indicating physical conditions:

脹 — to swell, expand

膨 — to bulge, inflate

瘤 — lump, tumor

癉 / 疸 — jaundice-type illness

Classical citations:

《後漢書·皇甫規傳》 (Book of Later Han)

「病腫久不愈。」

“The swelling illness did not heal for a long time.”

腫 = physical swelling / tumor.

《三國志·魏志·王粲傳》 (Records of the Three Kingdoms)

「腫痛彌甚。」

“The swelling and pain grew even more severe.”

《史記·倉公列傳》 (Records of the Grand Historian)

「身腫氣逆。」

“His body swelled, and his breath rose counterflow.”

腫 = systemic swelling / edema.

Distinguish from 腎 (kidney):

Many learners confuse 腫 (swelling) with 腎 (kidney).

腫 contains 重, whereas 腎 contains 臣 + 且.