cold

冷 is composed of the radical 仌 (ice) and 令 (command). 令 originally means instructions or commands issued by a superior to a subordinate, extended to imply something that cannot be disobeyed. The forces of nature and the way of heaven are irresistible and cannot be defied, so 令 here can be understood as referring to natural essence or inherent nature. 仌 represents ice, and the inherent nature of ice is to be cold and chilly, therefore 冷 is used to express coldness.