Hangul is not merely a simple writing system.
It is a shaped language that simultaneously contains human senses, natural forms, and the flow of emotions — capturing both the world and the mind.
In this article, focusing on seven words — Fire, Mountain, Sorrow, Laughter, Wind, River, and Star — we sensibly explore how Hangul visually embodies emotions and natural forms.
Thoughts on Hangul and Its Shapes
🔥 Fire
Letter Composition: ㅂ + ㅜ + ㄹ
Shape Interpretation:
- ‘ㅂ’ represents trapped energy
- ‘ㅜ’ depicts spreading heat
- ‘ㄹ’ expresses the flickering flames
Emotion/Sensation: Passion, threat, vitality
Semiotic Interpretation: Fire is a symbol of explosive, condensed energy within a seemingly static letter.
🏔️ Mountain
Letter Composition: ㅅ + ㅏ + ㄴ
Shape Interpretation:
- ‘ㅅ’ symbolizes a peak
- ‘ㅏ’ indicates upward movement
- ‘ㄴ’ represents the mountain’s slope
Emotion/Sensation: Grandeur, tranquility, solitude
Semiotic Interpretation: Mountain is a pyramidal structure symbolizing serene majesty.
😢 Sorrow
Letter Composition: ㅅ + ㅡ + ㄹ + ㅍ + ㅡ + ㅁ
Shape Interpretation:
- Sharpness (‘ㅅ’)
- Sinking and subsiding (‘ㅡ’)
- Twisting (‘ㄹ’)
- Sudden choking (‘ㅍ’)
- Closure (‘ㅁ’)
Emotion/Sensation: Heaviness, tears, suppression
Semiotic Interpretation: Sorrow visually expresses the flow and closed pain of emotion.
😄 Laughter
Letter Composition: ㅇ + ㅜ + ㅅ + ㅡ + ㅁ
Shape Interpretation:
- Mouth shape (‘ㅇ’)
- Upward spreading smile (‘ㅜ’)
- Burst of laughter sound (‘ㅅ’)
- Lips enclosing (‘ㅁ’)
Emotion/Sensation: Brightness, liberation, cheerfulness
Semiotic Interpretation: An audiovisual integrated sign combining facial expression and sound of laughter.
🌬️ Wind
Letter Composition: ㅂ + ㅏ + ㄹ + ㅏ + ㅁ
Shape Interpretation:
- Starting point (‘ㅂ’)
- Flow (‘ㄹ’)
- Spatial wave (‘ㅁ’)
Emotion/Sensation: Freedom, coolness, departure
Semiotic Interpretation: A symbol of fluidity expressing the progression from start, flow, to dissipation.
🌊 River
Letter Composition: ㄱ + ㅏ + ㅇ
Shape Interpretation:
- Beginning (‘ㄱ’)
- Expansion (‘ㅏ’)
- Circulation (‘ㅇ’)
Emotion/Sensation: Continuity, flexibility, vitality
Semiotic Interpretation: A compact symbol representing the strong flow and life-giving nature of a river.
🌟 Star
Letter Composition: ㅂ + ㅕ + ㄹ
Shape Interpretation:
- Condensation of light (‘ㅂ’)
- Expansion (‘ㅕ’)
- Trembling or flicker (‘ㄹ’)
Emotion/Sensation: Hope, sparkle, loneliness
Semiotic Interpretation: An emotional cosmic symbol spreading from a point outward, merging sound and sensation.
✨ Is Hangul Not Also a Script that Includes Shapes?
| Element | Application Method | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Visual Traits of Letters | Substituting consonant/vowel lines and directions with forms of objects | ㅅ → mountain peak / flame, ㅁ → enclosure / embracing form |
| Emotional Symbolism of Letters | Linking pronunciation and symbolic aspects to emotions | ㅜ → sinking / sorrow, ㅕ → expansion / hope |
| Semiotic Flow | Order and meaning of letters correspond to emotional structure | ‘Sorrow’ flows from sharpness → sinking → closure |
| Connection to Natural Objects | Intuitive matching of letters with objects (mountain, river, wind, etc.) | ‘Mountain’ = ㅅ peak + ㅏ rise + ㄴ slope |
This interpretation is not merely linguistic; it is an emotive inquiry into how Hangul captures human sensation.
Hangul is not just a system to write sounds —
it is the gesture that holds those sounds,
the feeling that senses those gestures,
and the symbol that visualizes those feelings.
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Hangul[한글]: The Sensory Script — An Integrative Semiotic Interpretation of Emotion, Sound, and Form
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