The kanji 駆 (pronounced *ku*) fundamentally represents the act of "running," "driving," or "to urge forward." It implies movement, often with speed and force. This can relate to physical movement of a person or animal, or to the act of driving or propelling something. It embodies the idea of initiating or accelerating an action.

・On-yomi (音読み): *ku* (ク) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): *ka(keru)* (かける)

⚫︎疾駆する Translation: To dash; to rush. ⚫︎追駆 Translation: Pursuit; chase. ⚫︎駆除 Translation: Extermination; eradication.

The kanji 駆 is a 形声文字 (*keisei moji* - phonetic-semantic compound). The phonetic component is 区 (*ku*), originally representing “area” or “region”. The semantic component is 馬 (*uma* - horse) or 　（走) (hashiru – to run), indicating the meaning of movement. Together, they combine to suggest the idea of a horse running within a specific area or context, and subsequently expanded to mean movement in general.