Definitions
morning; early; long-held; long-cherished
Etymology
Pictograph of a person working underneath the moon (夕) in the early morning when the moon is still visible.
About
The character 夙 primarily signifies early morning, as well as long-held, preexisting conditions or habits. Structurally, it consists of the enclosing component 几 surrounding the inner element 歹, though it is traditionally classified under the radical 夕 (evening). Its core meaning originally referred to the transition from night to dawn, representing the very start of the day when people rose for work. From this notion of extreme earliness, its usage extended to describe something enduring from the distant past to the present, often appearing in classical compounds to denote lifelong aspirations, long-standing enmities, or habits established over a long period.
Etymology Hide
