edge, border, meet

際 is composed of the radical of 阜 (mound) and 祭 (offer sacrifice)). 阜 represents steep mountains or high terrain, while 祭 depicts a sacrificial ceremony connecting the human realm with the divine, embodying the concept of intersection and convergence. 際 originally designated the boundary or juncture where two mountain cliffs meet, which naturally extended to mean edges, borders, intersections, or the space between two points.