music, joy, happy

樂 is composed of a variant of 絲 (silk), 白 (white), and 木 (wood). The earliest form of 樂 depicts silk strings tied to a wooden frame, with its original meaning being a stringed musical instrument. Later 白 was added, representing how the music makes listeners open their mouths and smile with delight. Therefore, 樂 means not only music, but also joy or happiness.