恐怖分子 “which way the WIND blows”

恐 fear kong

Gong on top left is phonetic. 工

Wind or knife on the right shows the wind of change that fearsome thing

心 xin Heart beneath tells us this is an emotional or intellectual state

怖 terror bu

Heart on the left (abbreviated form) this is an emotional or intellectual state

布 bu woven cloth on the right is phonetic but also a metaphor: your fears cover you, blind you, choke you like cloth

分 fen divide split apportion

eight 八 ba on top knife 刀 dao below, the knife chops downward, splits 1 一 yi1 into 8 八.

子 zi suffix like “-ist” “-err” “-ette”

One who divides up and apportions fear and terror. In other words: a t ERR OR ist. kongbufenzi