to rule; to govern; to manage; to control; to harness (a river); to tr
Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 台 represents the sound. Originally referred to a river in Shandong province. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.
《說文》：“治，水。出東萊曲城陽丘山，南入海。从水，台聲。”
river in Shandong