aged, verify, examine

考 is composed of a variant of 老 (old) and 丂 (skillful). 老 refers to an elderly person, while 丂 is a pictograph of a walking stick. Elderly people with advanced age often have mobility issues and require a walking stick for support, so 考 originally means longevity or old age. Additionally, those with long life have rich experiences, qualifying them to assess the rightness or wrongness of younger people, so 考 also carries the meaning of examination or scrutiny.