侵

侵 is a phono-semantic compound formed from:

人 (사람 인) — semantic component, indicating human action or movement.

𠬶 (침입할 침) — phonetic component, providing the sound qīn / chim and nuance of “approach” or “enter.”

Originally, 侵 described the act of a person advancing into another’s domain, especially in a military or hostile sense.

From this concrete notion of “intrusion,” the meaning broadened to include violation, infringement, or gradual encroachment in moral, legal, and natural contexts.

侵犯 (침범) — to violate, infringe, invade

侵略 (침략) — invasion, aggression

侵蝕 (침식) — erosion, corrosion

侵入 (침입) — intrusion, breaking in

侵害 (침해) — harm, violation of rights

In classical Chinese, 侵 typically denotes aggressive entry or encroachment, as in military campaigns or territorial disputes.

「敵兵侵我疆界。」

“The enemy troops invaded our borders.”

It also came to describe non-physical encroachments, such as intrusion into personal space, property, or moral boundaries.

By metaphorical extension, 侵 also means to creep into, to affect gradually:

寒氣侵骨 — “The cold seeps into the bones.”

歲月侵人 — “The years wear away at people.”

Thus, the word covers both sudden invasion and slow penetration — a dual semantic field of violence and subtlety.

Modern usage and idiomatic nuance:

In modern Chinese, 侵 survives in numerous compound verbs related to violation, invasion, and infringement, particularly in legal and political contexts:

侵犯知識產權 — infringement of intellectual property rights.

侵入電腦系統 — hacking or unauthorized access.

侵蝕生態環境 — ecological degradation.