企

Compound ideograph, made up of:

人 (인) – a person (depicting the human figure standing upright)

止 (지) – a foot (depicting the movement or stance of the foot)

In oracle bone script (甲骨文 jiǎgǔwén), 企 was drawn as a standing person with an emphasis on the foot, illustrating someone lifting up on tiptoe to look far into the distance.

Originally, it meant “to stand on tiptoe to look far away.”

Over time, the meaning expanded:

– to stand on tiptoe,

– to hope, to look forward to something,

– to plan or to scheme.

企 evolved from a pictorial idea of “standing tall to see ahead” into a metaphor for planning, hoping, or striving toward a goal.

Modern East Asian vocabulary heavily uses 企 in business contexts (enterprise, planning, initiative).

In compounds, 企 often implies intent, ambition, or strategic planning.

기업 (企業) — enterprise, company (literally “a planned endeavor”)

기획 (企劃) — planning, project design

기망 (企望) — aspiration, expectation

기도 (企圖) — attempt, scheme

기책 (企策) — devising a plan

기도범 (企圖犯) — attempted criminal (legal term)