伐 fá cut down
cut down; subjugate; attack
How it came to be
A dagger-axe, the dagger block, held level with a person's neck. An execution rather than a fight: the blade is already at the throat, and nothing in the drawing moves.
用法
- To fell/cut down (trees) or to launch a punitive attack - 砍伐 (kǎnfá) to log, 讨伐 (tǎofá) to send a punitive expedition.
- Note the separate word 步伐 (bùfá) pace/step, where 伐 no longer carries 'cut' - a fixed compound to memorize.
- The 'attack' sense is formal/historical; the 'fell trees' sense is everyday.