醇

Phono-semantic compound:

醇 = 酉 (wine, liquor) + 享 (phonetic)

The phonetic 享 is the contracted form of 𦎫 (“to ferment / to soak / to cook thoroughly”).

Because 𦎫 is a cooking/fermentation-related character, the combination with 酉 (alcohol jar) naturally produced the meaning “well-fermented → strong / rich alcohol.”

In Classical Chinese, 醇 originally referred to distilled, strong, or mellow liquor, as opposed to diluted or impure types.

Later figurative meanings developed:

- “pure / simple” (as in unadulterated)

- “honest / sincere”

Korean usage today is mostly literal “strong liquor” meaning, or in Sino-Korean compounds preserved in academic / literary contexts.

순주 (醇酒) — pure, unmixed, high-quality liquor

순미 (醇味) — mellow taste

순정 (醇情) — genuine feeling (rare/archaic)

Relationship to 淳 / 純 / 醺:

Chinese linguistics sometimes groups 醇 with 淳 (“pure, honest”) because of overlapping figurative meanings.

In chemistry, however, 醇 is unambiguously the morpheme for “alcohol”.

Phonetic evolution:

The historical phonetic 𦎫 had a reading close to sun in Early Middle Chinese, matching Sino-Korean “순”.

Classical citations:

《禮記·內則》 (Book of Rites)

「酒醇而味厚。」

“The wine is strong and its flavor rich.”

《左傳·昭公二十年》 (Zuo Commentary)

「其政不醇。」

“His governance is not pure (not sincere).”

Figurative use meaning “not genuine / not honest.”