According to Henshall, the left-hand side of 躍 is𧾷, “foot, leg.” And the rest means “bird’s wings,” combining 羽 (wings) with 隹 (bird). This right-hand side also acts phonetically to express “leap” and may lend connotations of “soaring high.” All together, the components create a sense of leaping with the legs. (Well, how else is one supposed to leap?) “To dance” and “to rush” are associated meanings, he says.
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