<p>The Wiktionary page for <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E8%91%9B%E8%97%A4" rel="nofollow noreferrer">葛藤</a> says:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Etymology: From the tendency of the vines of kudzu and rattan to become entangled.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>No citation is provided, however.</p>
<p>The Korean Wikipedia page for <a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EA%B0%88%EB%93%B1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">갈등</a> says something similar:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>어원: 왼쪽으로 감아 자라나는 칡과 오른쪽으로 감아 자나라는 등나무가 서로 얽히고 설킨 모습에서 유래.</p>
<p>Etymology: It is derived from the shape of the wisteria that is wrapped to the left and the wisteria which is wrapped to the right and entwined to the right. (Google Translate)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Again, no citation is provided, unfortunately.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-23T19:23:03.340Z
2019-03-23T19:23:03.340Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
mic
<p>It’s semantic extension.</p>

<p>The plant refers to a kind which forms entangled vines. This is extended to mean <em>troubled, complex relationships</em> or <em>conflicts</em>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-26T01:21:43.040Z
2019-03-26T01:21:43.040Z
dROOOze
<p>Conflict is a phenomenon in which an individual's emotion or motivation contradicts other emotions or motivations, and the expression is prevented.
You need to know the meaning of each letter in Korean.
It is a combination of &quot;gal (葛)&quot; meaning arrowroot and &quot;deng (藤)&quot; meaning rattan, and &quot;conflict (葛藤)&quot; refers to a state in which things are difficult to solve (狀態) due to a mess like rattan and rattan vines.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-03T15:08:29.873Z
2023-10-03T15:32:15.897Z
2023-10-03T15:32:15.897Z
user36847
<p>I am learning Korean, and my dictionary gives an English meaning for 葛藤(갈등) as 'conflict' or 'troubles'. Why do these characters combine do give this meaning? Both characters seem to mean some kind of plant (although in each case, I'm getting varying definitions as to exactly which plant!)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-23T14:43:28.637Z
Please check [this](https://zh.wiktionary.org/zh-hans/%E8%91%9B%E8%97%A4) out.
zyy
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-06T04:35:40.207Z
Note the same meaning also exists in Japanese.
Weijun Zhou
<meaning><etymology>
Why does 葛藤(갈등) mean 'conflict' or 'troubles'?
# Why does 葛藤(갈등) mean 'conflict' or 'troubles'?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-03-23)

I am learning Korean, and my dictionary gives an English meaning for 葛藤(갈등) as 'conflict' or 'troubles'. Why do these characters combine do give this meaning? Both characters seem to mean some kind of plant (although in each case, I'm getting varying definitions as to exactly which plant!)

**Tags:** meaning, etymology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Please check [this](https://zh.wiktionary.org/zh-hans/%E8%91%9B%E8%97%A4) out.  
> **username_2**: Note the same meaning also exists in Japanese.  

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2019-03-23. Score: 3

The Wiktionary page for [葛藤](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E8%91%9B%E8%97%A4) says:

> Etymology: From the tendency of the vines of kudzu and rattan to become entangled.

No citation is provided, however.

The Korean Wikipedia page for [갈등](https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EA%B0%88%EB%93%B1) says something similar:

> 어원: 왼쪽으로 감아 자라나는 칡과 오른쪽으로 감아 자나라는 등나무가 서로 얽히고 설킨 모습에서 유래.
>
> Etymology: It is derived from the shape of the wisteria that is wrapped to the left and the wisteria which is wrapped to the right and entwined to the right. (Google Translate)

Again, no citation is provided, unfortunately.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2019-03-26. Score: 2

It’s semantic extension.

The plant refers to a kind which forms entangled vines. This is extended to mean *troubled, complex relationships* or *conflicts*.


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### Answer by username_5 on 2023-10-03. Score: 1

Conflict is a phenomenon in which an individual's emotion or motivation contradicts other emotions or motivations, and the expression is prevented.
You need to know the meaning of each letter in Korean.
It is a combination of "gal (葛)" meaning arrowroot and "deng (藤)" meaning rattan, and "conflict (葛藤)" refers to a state in which things are difficult to solve (狀態) due to a mess like rattan and rattan vines.


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