Origin

This character combines a walking radical on the left, which suggests movement or action, with a sound component on the right that hints at the pronunciation テツ. The idea of walking or moving through something naturally connects to the meaning of penetrating or piercing all the way through — like walking straight through an obstacle. The sense of clarity and striking home comes from this same idea of going completely through something without obstruction, making it clear and complete.

AI-generated (claude-haiku-4-5), not yet reviewed. Formation type (automated guess): Phono-semantic (meaning + sound hint).