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Quick Answer

列 (렬) means "to arrange in a row" and is the 15th character of the Thousand Character Classic. The character 列 is thought to have been formed in the oracle-bone script in imitation of stripping t

Day 15

Strokes: 0 | Radical: 刀 Beginner

列

렬 | to arrange in a row

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📖 Origin

The character 列 is thought to have been formed in the oracle-bone script in imitation of stripping the bones of the dead and laying them out in a row. In its early stages the sense of arranging bones or corpses was strong. By the bronze-inscription stage it combined with the knife radical (刀) or the image of cleaning bones, taking on the meanings 'to strip bones' and 'to classify.' In the small seal script the present form of the character was established, and it developed the meaning of laying things out neatly and setting them in order.

🔍 Structure

歹 (death radical) + 刂 (knife radical)

The character 列 can be seen as a combination of 歹 (the death radical) and 刂 (the knife radical). 歹 carries meanings related to bones and death, while 刂 means a knife. Originally it depicted stripping bones with a knife or laying out the bones of the dead in neat order, and from this it developed the sense of 'arranging' or 'aligning' things in a fixed sequence. A similar character, 裂 (to tear), means tearing cloth (衣) with a knife (刀); although both use the knife radical, the overall meaning of the character differs.

🏛 Philosophy

Confucianism

Confucianism prizes social order and harmony, stressing that all things and people should be arranged in their proper places according to their nature, with clear distinctions of standing and hierarchy. The Book of Rites states, "Ritual divides and apportions in order, and thereby governs the people," underscoring the importance of social alignment and distinction.

Legalism

For the stability and governance of the state, Legalism strictly arranges the people under fixed laws and institutions, clearly distinguishing their conduct by the measure of the law and applying reward and punishment accordingly. Han Feizi declared, "The law does not flatter the noble, and the plumb line does not bend for the crooked," emphasizing the principle of arranging all people equally before the law.

📝 Idioms (3)

列鼎而食 (열정이식)

Literally "to set out many cauldrons and dine," an idiom likening an extravagant, luxurious life. It depicts the spread of abundant food at a feast or banquet.

列土封疆 (열토봉강)

The king parcels out land to his vassals, enfeoffing them and fixing their boundaries. It denotes the feudal system of distributing territory and conferring the status of a vassal state.

列傳 (열전)

A biography recording a person's life in sequence; the term refers to the sections of historical works such as Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian, which set down the lives of various figures side by side. It arranges and distinguishes the deeds of each person.

💬 Proverbs

Classical maxim

One of virtue will surely be ranked in their place.\nThis maxim means that a person of virtue will rightly rise to high standing or an important position. It connects with the sense of 列, by which a capable person naturally finds their proper place arranged in line within the social hierarchy.

📚 Daily Words

나열(羅列)

Laying out a variety of things in a row or setting them out in order.

정렬(整列)

Putting a row or line in neat, proper order; alignment.

열차(列車)

Cars or carriages joined together in a single line; a train.

행렬(行列)

A line in which people or things are strung out; a procession.

🎭 K-Culture

K-POP

In K-pop idol group performances, the formations and movements the members create as they execute razor-sharp synchronized choreography maximize the aesthetics of 'alignment.' The intricately designed formation changes and the members' perfectly unified motions leave a powerful impression on audiences.

Tradition

In the royal ceremonies and military drills of the Joseon era, honor guards and soldiers formed strict processions to display their dignity. Especially during royal progresses, they moved in ranks ordered by rank and role, symbolizing authority and order.

🌍 World Culture

Ancient Civilization

The army of the ancient Roman Empire was organized into strict units called the Roman Legion and boasted outstanding combat power. With irresistible formations and tactics they conquered vast territories, demonstrating the importance of precise alignment.

Ancient Civilization

In Japanese traditional arts such as the tea ceremony (chadō) and flower arrangement (ikebana), profound philosophical meaning is attached to arranging and placing objects. Respecting the order of nature, they pursue stillness and harmony through aesthetically balanced arrangement.

🤖 AI Era Lesson

"The character 列 signifies the ordering and classification of data and the logical sequence of an algorithm. To extract meaningful knowledge from boundless information and put it to efficient use, the accurate 'arranging' and 'aligning' of data is essential. Through such ordered arrangement, intelligent systems understand and predict the world and uncover patterns that humans might miss. What we must teach is not the mere 'enumeration' of knowledge but the wisdom to seek out the value and the ethical 'alignment' hidden within it."

📜 Classical Poetry (1)

Untitled, Travelling on the River

Qian Qi (c. 722–c. 780) — Tang Dynasty

湘中好景說難窮，列岫爭奇未肯同。鳥相呼風自急，蒹葭一片水空濛。

The fine scenery in the heart of the Xiang is too much to tell in full; the ranged peaks vie in marvels, none alike. Apes and birds call to one another while the wind quickens of itself, and a stretch of reeds lies hazy upon the vast empty water.

This work by the Tang poet Qian Qi depicts the lovely scenery of the Xiang River. In the phrase "the ranged peaks vie in marvels," 列 vividly expresses mountain peaks standing in a row, each contending in its strangeness. This is not mere enumeration but shows the order of nature in which each peak flaunts its own character while forming a harmonious whole.