The kanji 尊 primarily conveys the meanings of "respect," "reverence," "venerate," "esteem," "noble," or "precious." It implies a high regard for something or someone, often due to their importance, value, or status. It can refer to both abstract concepts, such as a person's dignity or the value of something, or concrete things, such as a respected person.

・On-yomi (音読み): ソン (son) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): たっと.い (tatto.i), とうと.い (touto.i)

⚫︎尊敬 (sonkei) Translation: Respect; esteem. ⚫︎尊い (tattoi/toutoi) Translation: Valuable; precious; noble; venerable. ⚫︎尊王攘夷 (sonnō jōi) Translation: Revere the Emperor and expel the barbarians (a political slogan).

The kanji 尊 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, keisei moji). The semantic component is a combination of 酋 (shū), which originally depicted a wine vessel used in ancestor worship and implied leadership or importance, and 寸 (sun), which meant "inch" or "measure". The combination of these parts originally indicated offering valuable items, like alcohol, to the ancestors as a display of reverence and veneration. Over time, the meaning broadened to encompass the concept of respect and value. The character's form has evolved over the centuries, but the core meaning remains.