Reflecting the language of ancient civilizations: A diachronic transition of “爵” and contrastive analysis of 
Sino-Korean Chinese characters

This study focuses on the historical and cultural significance of the Chinese character “爵” (jue), reflecting the culture of the ancient Bronze Age, and examines its semantic evolution and characteristics from a cognitive linguistic perspective. In addition, it compares and contrasts this with its use in Korean hanja (Chinese characters used in the Korean language). The research highlights that in ancient China, “爵” was initially used to denote a ceremonial wine vessel, symbolizing authority and social status, and was closely associated with rites and nobility. Over time, the meanings of “爵” expanded to include titles of nobility and official positions. Furthermore, the study explores the impact of Chinese culture and language on Korea, showing how “爵” and its related concepts were adopted and adapted within the Korean language and culture, maintaining some of its original meanings while also developing unique interpretations. It suggests that many Korean hanja words share identical meanings with their Chinese counterparts, but some have evolved distinctively, especially in the realm of religion, highlighting the interplay and diversity of cultural and linguistic influences between China and Korea.