remove, strip

卸 is composed of 午 (noon), 止 (stop), and 卩 (knot). 午 is a pictograph of a pestle, 止 is a pictograph of the sole of the foot, and 卩 depicts a person kneeling. Therefore, 卸 conveys the idea of a person kneeling on the road while holding a pestle. 午 carries the meaning of the exact center, so the person holding the pestle can be regarded as a ruler who manages affairs throughout the territory. The original meaning of 卸 is to rule or govern, but this sense was later taken over by 御. Nowadays, 卸 means to remove or to relieve, which is thought to be related to the fact that a ruler traveling about must remove the heavy burdens he carries.