擒

capture

擒 is composed of the radical of 手 (hand) and 禽 (bird). 禽 is made up of a variant of 亼 (gather) and 离 (separate), conveying the idea of using a net to catch birds, with its original meaning being to capture or seize. Later, as 禽 came to derive other meanings, the hand radical 手 was added to specifically refer to the action of capturing or seizing.

Vocabulary of 擒

  • 擒拿 (grappling)
  • 就擒 (be captured)
  • 生擒 (capture alive)

Related Characters: