誌

Phono-semantic compound consisting of:

言 (말씀 언) — semantic element, indicating relation to speech, language, or writing.

志 (뜻 지) — phonetic element, meaning “intention” or “will,” contributing both sound and sense (to express or record one’s mind).

Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字):

「誌，記也。从言，志聲。」

“誌 means to record or write down; composed of 言 (speech) and 志 (phonetic).”

Thus, 誌 literally represents “to express the mind through words” — the act of writing that captures thought or intent.

Semantic development:

Primary meaning: to write, record, or mark in words.

Derived meaning: a written record, chronicle, or inscription.

Extended modern meaning: journal, magazine, or publication.

From early historical writings (史誌, annals and chronicles) to modern media (雜誌, magazines), 誌 retained its core sense of recording and communicating the mind through writing.

記事 (기사) — written account, record

雜誌 (잡지) — magazine, periodical

標誌 (표지) — sign, symbol, indicator

誌念 (지념) — record or commemoration of thought

誌文 (지문) — commemorative text, inscription

日誌 (일지) — daily record, diary

紀念誌 (기념지) — commemorative publication

記誌 (기지) — record, note

In Confucian and historical tradition, 誌 signifies the preservation of truth and virtue through written words.

To “record (誌)” was not merely to note events but to manifest the moral order of the world through language.

《禮記·學記》(The Book of Rites):

「善學者，必先誌其志。」

“The good learner first records his will.”

This shows the close link between 誌 (record) and 志 (intent) — the external and internal sides of one’s thought.

Writing is thus viewed as the act of setting one’s mind into enduring form.

《後漢書》(Book of the Later Han Dynasty):

「史官誌事，以存其實。」

“The historian records events in order to preserve their truth.”

Here, 誌 carries the classical sense of official record-keeping — writing to preserve accurate history.

In Buddhist texts, 誌 can also denote commemorative inscriptions or records of teachings, emphasizing mindfulness and remembrance.

Symbolic interpretation:

誌 represents the meeting of language (言) and intention (志) — the written expression of the heart’s will.

It embodies the cultural reverence for writing as a way to preserve truth, memory, and virtue.

「誌者，心之跡也。」

“Writing is the trace of the heart.”

Through 誌, thought becomes word, and word becomes enduring form — a symbol of civilization’s memory.

In moral and historical context, it signifies the faithful preservation of truth through language.

Hence, 誌 stands as the emblem of writing as memory — the voice of the mind made lasting.