The word 解放 is formed through the process of semantic compounding, where two independent characters, each with their own meanings, are combined to create a new, unified concept. The first character, 解, originally depicted the act of using a knife to separate the horns from an ox's head, carrying the core idea of "to untie", "to loosen", or "to divide". The second character, 放, is based on the image of driving someone away with a stick, meaning "to release", "to set free", or "to let go". When fused, their combined literal sense of "untie and release" evolves metaphorically to express the comprehensive idea of liberation, freeing people, a place, or a concept from confinement, oppression, or restriction.