占领
zhàn lǐng · HSK 5
to occupy
🚩 占 = occupy/seize + 领 = collar/lead; together: seize and lead a territory
占 means to take or occupy (as in 占用 to use up); 领 means collar or to lead (as in 领导 leader). Combined, 占领 is the act of seizing control and holding command over a place.
占 — divination 卜 + mouth 口
Originally a pictograph showing a divination crack 卜 above a mouth 口, depicting someone speaking the result of an oracle reading. From this 'declare by divination' sense it broadened to 'occupy, take possession of' (now read zhàn) and 'divine, foretell' (read zhān).
领 — 令 (command, phonetic) + 页 (head)
A semantic-phonetic compound. 页 (head/page) gives the meaning, originally referring to the neck or collar — the part connecting the head to the body. 令 supplies the sound. From 'neck/collar' it extended to 'lead, guide, receive,' since the neck leads the body.