The word 把柄 is formed through a vivid conceptual combination where 把, depicting a hand gripping an object, and 柄, meaning a handle, are merged. This creates the concrete image of "a handle to grip", a solid point of control or leverage. By metaphorical extension, this tangible notion of a graspable handle evolves into the abstract meaning of "something that can be held against someone", forming a single unified concept for a weakness or compromising evidence that others can seize upon, much like one seizes a physical handle.