The character Qian (䙴) first appeared in oracle bone inscriptions of the Shang Dynasty. In the Western Zhou Dynasty, it meant relocation or migration. During the Warring States period, its meaning extended and its written form differentiated. The original character Qian (䙴) often represented QianXing, a form of punishment by exile, and the differentiated character Qian (遷) took on the meaning of relocation or migration originally carried by Qian (䙴). In Qin and Han legal documents, Qian (䙴) and Qian (遷) had clearly defined functions, but in other Qin and Han texts, there was a phenomenon of functional overlap between them. In the later Western Han period, these two characters underwent functional merger, with Qian (遷) assuming all functions and Qian (䙴) gradually disappearing. The reasons for the function changes can be attributed to the frequent migration activities during the Qin Dynasty, the culture and psychology of seeking auspiciousness and avoiding misfortune, the pursuit of clear semantic representation in writing, and the dynamic adjustment of the Chinese character functional system.