題

A phono-semantic compound:

頁 (“head, face, page”) - provides the semantic element.

是 (si/je, “this, correct”) - provides the phonetic element.

Refers to the foremost and most important part of a text or story.

Can also be used as a verb: “to give a title,” “to inscribe,” “to write.”

Historically also meant “forehead” (“the protruding part of the head”), but this sense is no longer in use.

Examples:

題目 (제목) – title, heading;

主題 (주제) – subject, theme;

詩題 (시제) – subject/title of a poem;

標題 (표제) – headline, caption;

題字 (제자) – an inscription, autograph, dedicatory writing.

In literary and scholarly contexts, 題 carries not only the meaning of “title” but also the idea of highlighting the essence of a work.

The verb usage (“to title, to inscribe”) is still alive in Chinese and Japanese, often referring to calligraphic inscriptions or dedications on paintings.