封
fēng · HSK 2
to seal
✉️ 封 = 圭 (jade tablet) + 寸 (hand) — sealing a letter or fief
Originally depicted a hand bestowing land with a boundary marker, hence 'to seal, confer, enfeoff'. Now also the measure word for sealed things like letters (一封信 = one letter).
封 — earth 土 doubled (圭) + inch 寸 (hand)
Originally a pictograph of a hand planting a sapling on a mound of earth, marking a boundary. From this came the meaning of granting fiefs to nobles, then sealing or closing off territory. The modern senses 'to seal' and 'envelope' both stem from this idea of enclosing.