追究
zhuī jiū · HSK 6
to investigate
🔍 chase + investigate: you CHASE (追) down every CLUE to INVESTIGATE (究)
追 means to chase or pursue, 究 means to examine or study thoroughly. Together they form the idea of pursuing a matter until you get to the bottom of it — relentless investigation.
追 — 辶 (walk) + 𠂤 (small mound/heap)
Originally a semantic-phonetic compound: 辶 ('walk/movement') gives the meaning of going after something, while 𠂤 supplied the ancient sound. Early bronze inscriptions show it meaning to chase or pursue an enemy. The modern senses — 'pursue,' 'chase after,' 'retroactively' — all extend from this original idea of following in motion.