Origin

The character 陵 combines the earth radical on the left, which signals something related to land or terrain, with a sound component on the right that indicates how the character should be pronounced. The meaning developed from the basic idea of an elevated piece of earth—a hill or mound—which then extended to the more specific sense of an imperial tomb, since such tombs were often built on hillsides or as artificial mounds. Over time, the character became especially associated with imperial mausoleums, where important rulers were buried in prominent earthen structures.