<p>The comments have the right idea.「行李」originally referred to a kind of messenger sent to run an errand, extended to mean <em>the act of delivering a message/running an errand</em>, further extended to mean <em>to travel</em>, and then finally <em>the items taken along a journey; luggage</em>.</p>

<p>「李」was used as a phonetic loan for「理」since the Warring States period, and for whatever reason,「行李」became more popular than「行理」, which is now restricted to meaning <em>messenger</em>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-11T15:24:21.963Z
2018-05-11T15:24:21.963Z
dROOOze
<p>the earliest one i find, "行李" was used in <a href="https://ctext.org/chun-qiu-zuo-zhuan/xiang-gong-ba-nian/zh?searchu=%E8%A1%8C%E6%9D%8E&amp;searchmode=showall#result" rel="noreferrer">春秋　襄公八年</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>知武子使行人子員對之曰﹒君有楚命﹒亦不使一介行李﹒告于寡君﹒而即安于楚</p>
</blockquote>

<p>"李" is borrowed from another character <strong>"吏"</strong> (lower ranking official)</p>

<p>so "行李" meant "行吏", roughly "special envoy"</p>

<p>the identifier "一介" is still used nowadays, to describe "一人，一個。有卑微、謙虛之意。"</p>

<p><a href="http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&amp;searchid=Z00000149395" rel="noreferrer">http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&amp;searchid=Z00000149395</a></p>

<p>then, in 陶淵明集　卷一　<a href="https://archive.org/stream/06050929.cn#page/n33/mode/1up" rel="noreferrer">贈長沙公族祖</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>遙遙三湘﹒滔滔九江﹒山川阻逺﹒行李時通</p>
</blockquote>

<p>"行李" here meant travellers (旅客)</p>

<p>afterward, in <a href="https://archive.org/stream/06079166.cn#page/n77/mode/1up" rel="noreferrer">宋書　卷九十八</a>, by 沈約:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>道賢至西城為守兵所殺﹒行李蔽擁﹒日月莫照</p>
</blockquote>

<p>in this text, "行李" would be interpreted as (corpses of) soliders, and /or belongings.</p>

<p>道賢 (the name of general) was defeated, the corpses of soldiers, and their belongings were in large quantity, that shadowed the shine of sun &amp; moon.</p>

<p>last, in <a href="https://archive.org/stream/06078994.cn#page/n147/mode/1up" rel="noreferrer">周書　卷二十</a>, by 令狐德棻</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>州境南接襄陽﹒西通岷蜀﹒物産所出﹒多諸珍異﹒時既與梁通好﹒行李徃來﹒公私贈遺﹒一無所受</p>
</blockquote>

<p>"行李" in this one should be treated as goods / products, not any humans.</p>

<p>quite near to the current meaning as luggage.</p>

<p>have fun :)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-11T19:14:21.100Z
2018-05-11T19:14:21.100Z
水巷孑蠻
<p>Pleco lists three meanings for the character 李：</p>

<ul>
<li>plum tree</li>
<li>plum</li>
<li>a surname </li>
</ul>

<p>None seem related to luggage!</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-11T12:22:57.780Z
(1) 清郝懿行《证俗文》卷六：古者行人谓之'行李'，本当作'行理'。理，治也。作’李‘者，古字假借通用。参见’行理‘。(2) 注：'行李'一词应写作'行理'，其中'李'是'理'的假借字。
xenophōn
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-11T12:56:08.270Z
Backing up Jacky above, 汉语大词典 says: that 李：`6 通“ 理 ”。见“ 行李 ”。` shares the meaning of ‘organize’.
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-11T12:58:08.100Z
I always thought to myself that you need to take a plum to eat during your trip.
Enrico Brasil
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-11T13:06:36.677Z
@賈可Jacky So basically 李 is a 假借 used in place of 理？ That makes sense to me!
Ludi
<etymology>
Why is there the character 李 in 行李？
# Why is there the character 李 in 行李？

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-05-11)

Pleco lists three meanings for the character 李：

* plum tree
* plum
* a surname

None seem related to luggage!

**Tags:** etymology
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: (1) 清郝懿行《证俗文》卷六：古者行人谓之'行李'，本当作'行理'。理，治也。作’李‘者，古字假借通用。参见’行理‘。(2) 注：'行李'一词应写作'行理'，其中'李'是'理'的假借字。  
> **username_2**: Backing up Jacky above, 汉语大词典 says: that 李：`6 通“ 理 ”。见“ 行李 ”。` shares the meaning of ‘organize’.  
> **username_3**: I always thought to myself that you need to take a plum to eat during your trip.  
> **username_0**: @賈可Jacky So basically 李 is a 假借 used in place of 理？ That makes sense to me!  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2018-05-11. Score: 8

The comments have the right idea.「行李」originally referred to a kind of messenger sent to run an errand, extended to mean *the act of delivering a message/running an errand*, further extended to mean *to travel*, and then finally *the items taken along a journey; luggage*.

「李」was used as a phonetic loan for「理」since the Warring States period, and for whatever reason,「行李」became more popular than「行理」, which is now restricted to meaning *messenger*.


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2018-05-11. Score: 5

the earliest one i find, "行李" was used in [春秋　襄公八年](https://ctext.org/chun-qiu-zuo-zhuan/xiang-gong-ba-nian/zh?searchu=%E8%A1%8C%E6%9D%8E&searchmode=showall#result):

> 知武子使行人子員對之曰﹒君有楚命﹒亦不使一介行李﹒告于寡君﹒而即安于楚

"李" is borrowed from another character **"吏"** (lower ranking official)

so "行李" meant "行吏", roughly "special envoy"

the identifier "一介" is still used nowadays, to describe "一人，一個。有卑微、謙虛之意。"

<http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&searchid=Z00000149395>

then, in 陶淵明集　卷一　[贈長沙公族祖](https://archive.org/stream/06050929.cn#page/n33/mode/1up):

> 遙遙三湘﹒滔滔九江﹒山川阻逺﹒行李時通

"行李" here meant travellers (旅客)

afterward, in [宋書　卷九十八](https://archive.org/stream/06079166.cn#page/n77/mode/1up), by 沈約:

> 道賢至西城為守兵所殺﹒行李蔽擁﹒日月莫照

in this text, "行李" would be interpreted as (corpses of) soliders, and /or belongings.

道賢 (the name of general) was defeated, the corpses of soldiers, and their belongings were in large quantity, that shadowed the shine of sun & moon.

last, in [周書　卷二十](https://archive.org/stream/06078994.cn#page/n147/mode/1up), by 令狐德棻

> 州境南接襄陽﹒西通岷蜀﹒物産所出﹒多諸珍異﹒時既與梁通好﹒行李徃來﹒公私贈遺﹒一無所受

"行李" in this one should be treated as goods / products, not any humans.

quite near to the current meaning as luggage.

have fun :)


---

