Definitions
(verb)
to step on; to tread on
(noun)
shoe
Etymology
Depicts a person (頁) using their foot (夂) to tread. 眉 was later added to embellish the character and to represent the sound while a component that depicts a shoe was also later added to 夂 (foot) to emphasize another meaning "shoes". The component that depicts a shoe was later reanalyzed as meaning component 彳 (walk).
About
The character 履 originally denoted a type of footwear, such as a shoe or sandal, with its structural composition incorporating elements that allude to the foot and movement, reflecting its core association. This concrete meaning gradually extended to function as a verb meaning to tread or walk upon a surface, an expansion that naturally arose from the object's use. Over centuries, its verbal sense further evolved into more abstract domains, coming to signify the act of carrying out or fulfilling actions, particularly in contexts involving duties, promises, or formal procedures. The traditional form of the character, which has maintained its consistent structure, retains these visual hints at its etymological foundations related to footwear and stepping, even as its applied meanings diversified across literary and everyday language.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
他履行了承诺。
我的履历很完整。
履带车在野外行驶。
他即将履新职。
双方必须履行合同条款。
她的步履轻盈而优雅。
法官履行法律赋予的职责。
在复杂环境中履行使命是一项挑战。