印

Pictophonetic / associative compound:

卩 (절, kneeling person/seal authority) — semantic component, denoting official or ceremonial use

又 (우, hand) or 爪 (조, claw/hand) — semantic component, representing a hand pressing down

Originally depicted a hand pressing a seal, symbolizing imprinting a mark or authorization.

印章 (인장) — seal, stamp

印刷 (인쇄) — printing

印鑑 (인감) — registered seal

印跡 (인적) — trace, mark, footprint

印度 (인도) — India

In East Asian history, the seal (印) was a crucial emblem of state authority and legitimacy, issued to officials as a warrant of power.

Often paired with 章 (장) in the compound 印章, emphasizing the physical seal and the engraved design together.