[UKH-員] | ultimateKOREAN

員

인원

원

부수: 口
획수: 10획

員 has the meanings unit/individual, member of an association and staff member.

員 = 口 + 貝

X = semantic + semantic (distortion)

• 貝 is a distortion of 鼎 which depicts a cauldron.
• 口 was originally oval-shaped and was used to make the round shape of the cauldron opening more salient. This emphasised the meaning ’round’.

Evolution:
員 = round ➔ perimeter
員 = round ➔ borrowed use ➔ unit/individual ➔ member of an association ➔ staff member

Mnemonic

Imagine a team of people attending a meeting at a round 員 table.

While this is an incorrect breakdown, you could see 員 as mouth 口 + money 貝. Imagine a group of committee members meeting together at around 員 a table to discuss 口 financial 貝 issues.

Vocab

unit/individual
定員	정원	admission capacity
滿員	만원	full capacity
動員	동원	mobilisation of forces
member of an association
會員	회원	member of a society
委員	위원	member of a committee
任員	임원	board member
黨員	당원	party member
構成員	구성원	member of a group
陪審員	배심원	member of the jury
國會議員	국회의원	member of the National Assembly
staff member
職員	직원	employee; staff member
社員	사원	employee; staff member
全員	전원	the entire staff
人員	인원	personnel; number of personnel
醫員	의원	medical staff
船員	선원	sailor
店員	점원	shop assistant
要員	요원	personnel; workforce
乘務員	승무원	crew member; flight attendant
從業員	종업원	service employee
公務員	공무원	public servant
硏究員	연구원	researcher

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