壓

Phono-semantic compound:

土 (흙 토, “earth”) — semantic, indicating heaviness or something exerting downward force.

厭 (염, “to dislike, to repress”) — phonetic, providing the sound 압 and reinforcing the idea of pressing down or being weighed upon.

The original graph depicts something heavy pressing downward on the ground, expressing both the physical act of compression and the figurative sense of oppression or suppression.

압력(壓力) — pressure, compression, stress

압박(壓迫) — oppression, coercion, compulsion

진압(鎭壓) — suppression, subjugation

억압(抑壓) — restraint, repression, oppression

압사(壓死) — death by crushing

In Korean, 壓 often combines with verbs like 鎭 (to suppress) or 抑 (to restrain) to form nuanced terms describing both physical and psychological pressure.

壓 shares the same root meaning as 押 (누를 압), though 押 emphasizes pressing by hand, whereas 壓 carries a broader sense of physical or systemic weight and suppression.

Historical & Classical Usage:

In classical Chinese texts, 壓 often conveys political or social suppression, as well as natural pressure such as weight or gravity.

《史記·項羽本紀》:

「天壓其上，地陷其下。」

“Heaven pressed down upon him, and the earth collapsed beneath.”

Here, 壓 expresses overwhelming power and doom.

《漢書》:

「以威壓諸侯。」

“He used his might to subdue the feudal lords.”

These usages illustrate 壓 as a force of domination or overpowering control, both literal and figurative.