驅

Phono-semantic compound, composed of:

馬 (horse) — indicates actions relating to driving, riding, or movement

區 (phonetic) — supplies the sound ku / gu

Original meaning to drive or urge a horse forward.

From this, extended meanings emerged:

- to chase away, as one drives animals or enemies

- to run swiftly, like a galloping horse

- to expel or remove unwanted things (illness → 驅病, insects → 驅虫)

- to mobilize or press into service (as in 驅使)

Driving / movement:

驅動 (구동) — driving force; propulsion; motor drive

驅馬 (구마) — to spur a horse

驅走 (구주) — to drive away; chase off

Expelling / removing:

驅逐 (구축) — to expel; to deport

驅病 (구병) — to expel illness

驅虫 (구충) — to expel parasites; deworm

驅魔 (구마) — exorcism; to drive away evil spirits

Figurative usage:

驅使 (구사) — to compel; to command; to make someone perform

驅策 (구책) — to motivate; to urge on

Classical citations:

《史記·田單列傳》 (Records of the Grand Historian)

「以火驅之。」

“He drove them forward with fire.”

《後漢書·張衡傳》 (Book of the Later Han)

「驅疫除災。」

“To drive away plagues and dispel disasters.”

《文選·潘岳〈閑居賦〉》 (Wenxuan, Anthology of Literature)

「驅馬林間。」

“Driving his horse through the woods.”