項

Phono-semantic compound:

頁 (머리 혈, “head, skull”) — semantic, indicating relation to the head/neck.

工 (장인 공, “craft, work”) — phonetic, providing the sound 항.

Originally referred to the back of the neck, later extended to mean “division, section” in writing or organization, much like “heading” or “entry.”

항목 (項目) — item, entry, heading

조항 (條項) — article, clause

수항 (首項) — first item, leading entry

목항 (目項) — list of headings, contents

In ancient Chinese texts, 項 most literally referred to the nape of the neck (뒤통수와 목덜미 부분).

By extension, it came to mean a section or item under a larger head (頁) — hence its use in documents for “articles, entries, clauses.”

Famous usage: 項羽 (항우), the warlord of Chu at the end of the Qin dynasty — his surname 項 reflects the original “neck” meaning, possibly referencing a clan toponym or physical descriptor.