攝

Phono-semantic compound:

手 (hand radical) – semantic, indicating the action of grasping or handling.

聶 (whisper, “nie/niep”) – phonetic element.

Together, the character conveys the act of using the hands to control, seize, or manage. Over time, the meaning expanded metaphorically to include administration, representation, and later the modern sense of photography and intake.

Semantic range:

- to grasp, seize, hold firmly;

- to govern, manage, administer;

- to take in, absorb (e.g., food, nutrients, teachings);

- to act as regent or substitute ruler;

- to photograph, to capture an image.

攝影 (섭영) – to photograph, photography

攝政 (섭정) – regency, acting on behalf of a ruler

攝取 (섭취) – intake, absorption

攝生 (섭생) – health cultivation, regimen

攝心 (섭심) – concentration of the mind

In modern Chinese, most frequently encountered in the sense of photography (攝影) or intake (攝取).