The Chinese word **煽动** is a compound verb formed by combining two characters: **煽** (shān), which originally means "to fan (flames)" or "to flap (wings)," carrying a metaphorical sense of stirring or inciting, and **动** (dòng), meaning "to move" or "to stir." Together, they create a semantic unit where 煽 acts as the modifier describing the manner of "moving"—specifically, a provocative or agitating action—and 动 provides the core concept of causing motion or change. Thus, the word literally means "to fan into movement," and by extension, it figuratively means "to incite," "to instigate," or "to stir up" (often negative actions or emotions), perfectly capturing the idea of deliberately provoking others to act.