壓 (yā)
press; oppress; crush; pressure
Etymology
Phonosemantic compound. 土 represents the meaning and 厭 represents the sound.
Shuowen Jiezi
《說文》：“壓，壞也。一曰塞補。从土，厭聲。”
Components
- 厭 (sound, meaning) — Original form. This became a phonetic loan for other meanings, so 土 (earth) was added to distinguish the original meaning again.
- 土 (meaning)