The kanji character 執 represents the concept of "to grasp," "to hold," "to cling to," "to persist," or "to control." It implies taking hold of something, either physically or mentally, and maintaining that grip or control. It can describe a physical action, like holding an object, or a mental state, such as clinging to a belief or an idea.

・On-yomi (音読み): シツ (shitsu) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): と（る） (to(ru) - to hold, grasp), と（り） (tori - hold, grasp)

⚫︎執着 (しゅうちゃく) Translation: Obsession, attachment, clinging ⚫︎執筆 (しっぴつ) Translation: Writing (e.g., of a book or article), authorship ⚫︎執務 (しつむ) Translation: Performing one's duties, working

The kanji 執 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, けいせいもじ) . The left side of the character is a radical representing hands (手へん, てへん), and the right side is the phonetic component, which provides the sound and hints at the meaning. The original form depicted hands holding something. Over time, it developed the broader meanings related to holding, grasping, controlling, and persisting. The character shows an image of a hand 手 (て) and some material 丸 (まる) being held. The meaning is "to grasp" or "to hold".