Reverse Engineering of Hanja — The Essence of Electronic Engineering Seen Through Etymology

# Reverse Engineering of Hanja — The Essence of Electronic Engineering Seen Through Etymology

**Author:** WU HANQING
**Affiliation:** Kyung Hee University, School of Electronic Information Engineering
**Data Download:**
[1] Hanja_Reverse_Engineering.pptx
[2] Hanja_Reverse_Engineering.pdf
[3] 漢字의 逆設計 - 字源으로 보는 電子工學의 本質.pdf

## Abstract

This paper reverse-engineers core concepts that form the foundation of electronic engineering through the etymology of Hanja (漢字). It examines the historical and physical cognitive processes underlying cutting-edge IT technologies. From oracle-bone script in antiquity, through metaphors of the Industrial Revolution, to today’s closed-loop systems, the source code of disciplinary knowledge is often encoded in Sino-Korean terms. We argue that Hanja is not a mere symbol but a substrate (基盤) that has accumulated human cognitive history.

## 1. Introduction: A Metaphor of Success Imprinted in a Name

Before exploring the essence of scholarship, it is useful to examine the meaning of naming. In the author's name "Oh Han-gyeong," the character for Gyeong implies a heart that goes to offer congratulations — the production of a success event. With the posture of an engineer who continuously produces results, this work scans the etymology of the disciplinary vocabulary encountered in daily life and in the laboratory.

## 2. The Metaphor of Electricity and the Industrial Revolution

At many universities the department “Electronic Engineering” is commonly called “Electrical and Electronic Engineering.” Does “electric” denote a device, or a flow of energy?

Historically, the term reflects the analogy to steam: the character 氣 (qi) denotes gases/fluids, and steam as the core motive power of the Industrial Revolution led to the analogy between steam in pipes and invisible energy in wires. Roughly:

- Qi (氣, Flow): the flow of invisible energy (e.g., electrical engineering).
- Device (器): visible hardware and appliances.

## 3. The Oldest Record of Physical Observation: Reverse Engineering of “Electricity”

Reverse-engineering the character for electricity reveals a notable fact: the traditional form “電” combines the components for rain (雨) above and 申 below, evoking storm clouds and lightning discharge. The first human encounters with electrical phenomena were natural lightning events, not controlled laboratory currents; the oracle-bone forms thus record an early physical observation.

## 4. Deep Scanning of Core Vocabulary in Electronic Engineering

We examine core IT concepts that compose electronic engineering and relate them to Hanja definitions (see NAVER Hanja Dictionary$^{[1]}$).

### 4.1 The Smallest Unit of Matter: Electron (電子)

- Composition: electric + 子
- Dictionary: an elementary particle carrying negative charge that orbits the atomic nucleus.
- Physical property: mass $9.1090 \times 10^{-31} \text{kg}$ ($\approx 0.511 \text{MeV}$); symbol $e$.
- Engineering meaning: the character 子 denotes a small fundamental unit; lightning’s energy maps metaphorically to electrons in the microscopic world.

### 4.2 Potential and Voltage (電位, 電壓)

- Electric potential: positional energy of a charge in an electric field.
- Voltage: the difference in potential between two points (unit: V); can be intuitively understood as a pressure that drives charge.

### 4.3 Continuous Flow: Current (電流)

- Current: continuous movement of charge; magnitude given by charge per unit time (ampere, A).
- The Industrial Revolution steam analogy helps visualize flow through conductors.

### 4.4 Circuit (回路) and Information (情報)

- Circuit: a connected path through which current flows; the closed-loop geometry is central to system behavior.
- Information: measurable knowledge or state conveyed by signals; in engineering, electrons circulating in circuits transmit reliable data.

### 4.5 The Foundation of Everything: Substrate (基盤)

- Substrate / circuit board: the physical base on which components sit and signals are exchanged; it forms the backbone of electronic systems.

## 5. Conclusion: A Humanitas Lens that Increases the Era's Resolution

Hanja (漢字) is not a mere symbol but a substrate where human cognitive history has accumulated.

From oracle-bone records of electricity to Industrial Revolution pipe metaphors and modern chips, reverse-engineering Hanja reveals that humanities and engineering are products of related cognitive processes.

### References (參考 文獻)

[1] NAVER Hanja Dictionary (entries: Electron (電子), Potential (電位), Voltage (電壓), Current (電流), Circuit (回路), Information (情報), Substrate (基盤))

[2] Oh Han-gyeong, "Reverse Engineering of Hanja - The Essence of Electronic Engineering Seen Through Etymology", Kyung Hee University Presentation Material, 2026.