[UKH-後] | ultimateKOREAN

後

뒤

후

부수: 彳
획수: 9획

後 has the meanings after, next, end, rear and lower person.

後 = 彳 + 幺 + 夊

X = semantic + phonetic + semantic

• 彳 depicts an intersection of two roads and represents the meaning ‘to walk’.
• 幺 depicts a small number of silk threads.
• 夊 depicts a foot with the toes downward and represents the meaning ‘foot’.

There are two main ideas for how this character gets its meaning. The first suggests that ‘foot’ 夊 was used to mean ‘lag behind other people when walking’; and from this comes the meanings ‘behind’ and ‘delay’. The second suggests that ‘foot’ 夊 combined with ‘small thread’ 幺 is associated with the meanings ‘go backwards’ and ‘be behind’.

Evolution:
後 = to lag behind (walking) ➔ behind ➔ descendant
後 = to lag behind (walking) ➔ behind ➔ rear
後 = to lag behind (walking) ➔ behind ➔ next
後 = to lag behind (walking) ➔ behind ➔ after
後 = to lag behind (walking) ➔ behind ➔ late

Mnemonic

Imagine two students walking towards an intersection 彳. The 후배(後輩) is walking several paces behind, dragging his feet 夊 with his shoes untied 幺 — while the 선배(先輩) is getting impatient.

Vocab

after
後	후	after
午後	오후	afternoon
以後	이후	after this
後産	후산	after birth
後半	후반	the second half
直後	직후	immediately after
後悔	후회	regret
事後	사후	ex post facto
後發	후발	late start
next
向後	향후	henceforth
後世	후세	future generations
後繼者	후계자	successor
end
後期	후기	the latter period
豫後	예후	prognosis
最後	최후	the very end
rear/back
背後	배후	the rear
後方	후방	the rear area
後退	후퇴	retreat (military)
前後	전후	front and back; sequence
後援	후원하다	support; backing
lower person
後輩	후배	one’s junior
後學	후학	junior students

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