挖掘
wājué · HSK 7
excavate
⛏️ 挖 dig + 掘 dig = two digging verbs stacked, so it means to excavate or unearth
挖 (wā) means to dig with a tool; 掘 (jué) also means to dig out. Doubling two near-synonyms intensifies the action: serious digging, as in excavating a site or unearthing buried things.
挖 — hand radical 扌 + 穵 (wā)
A semantic-phonetic compound. The hand radical 扌 indicates the meaning—an action done with the hand, namely digging or scooping. The right side 穵 supplies the sound 'wā'. The character has long meant to dig out, excavate, or hollow something.