In The History of the Three Kingdoms, Book of Wei, Volume 11, the phrase "Gongl v Qingdao(躬履清蹈)" appears in the original text by Chen Shou (AD 233–297). Pei So ngzhi (AD 372–451) provided an annotation in the form of a commentary, stating th at "'Dao(蹈)' is synonymous with 'Lv(履)'." However, the exact interpretation of "Gongl v Qingdao(躬履清蹈)" remains ambiguous, with multiple scholarly perspectives offerin g different explanations. This paper approaches the phrase from an etymological per spective, conducting an in-depth analysis of the meaning of each character within "G onglv Qingdao(躬履清蹈)" to explore its lexical structure, semantics, and rhetorical fun ction. The findings indicate that "Gonglv Qingdao(躬履清蹈)" is a parallel construction consisting of two phrases: "Gonglv(躬履)" and "Qingdao(清蹈)". The characters "Lv(履) " and "Dao(蹈)", both verbs associated with movements of the feet, are mutually expl anatory. "Gong(躬)" signifies bending the body, metaphorically indicating personal in volvement or practice, while "Qing(清)" conveys the meaning of purity and integrity; both functions adverbially to modify "Lv(履)" and "Dao(蹈)". Through the rhetorical d evice of intertextual parallelism, the phrase expresses the idea of personally upholdin g moral principles with integrity. Similar lexical structures include two-character com pounds such as "Gonglv(躬蹈)" and "Daolv(蹈履)", as well as four-character idioms su ch as "蹈仁履義(Acting with kindness and righteousness)" and "履湯蹈火(Braving hards hips and dangers)". These examples reflect the diversity and flexibility of word format ion in Chinese language. Furthermore, this paper examines the pragmatic dimension of "Gonglv Qingdao(躬履清蹈)" as a representation of Confucian moral ideals and its expressive function, arguing that the phrase embodies noble virtues and positive soci al values. It highlights Confucian emphasis on personal integrity and the active fulfill ment of social responsibilities. By investigating the etymology and structure of "Gon glv Qingdao(躬履清蹈)" as well as its lexical associations, this paper rectifies misconce ptions and contributes to the development of Chinese exegetics. Additionally, the pa per also facilitates the collation of ancient texts and the compilation of dictionaries, a nd then it deepens the understanding of Confucian moral thought as manifested in l inguistic expressions, shedding light on the cultural significance embedded in classic al Chinese vocabulary.