occupy, possess

佔 is composed of the radical 人 (person) and 占 (divination). In ancient times, feudal lords would perform tortoise shell divination to predict auspiciousness before seizing another country’s land through military force, an act represented by 占, which also carries the meaning of seizing or occupying. The radical 人 emphasizes that this is a human-determined action, not dictated by divine will.