spread, pave, sit, promulgate
敷 centers on laying something out flat and wide: spreading a cloth, paving a surface, or sitting down by spreading oneself. The promulgate sense extends this to spreading ideas or decrees widely.
敷 combines 旉 (spread out, arrange) with 攵 (hand action), reinforcing the idea of spreading or laying out by hand. The exact historical development of 旉 is uncertain, but the compound meaning is well established.
The left side 旉 looks like a cloth being spread out over a field 田 with a hand 攵 on the right smoothing it flat. Picture laying a picnic blanket: you spread it, pave the ground, and then sit.
For フ, imagine spreading a huge futon (ふとん) on the floor: the first syllable フ of ふとん cues the reading while you lay it out flat.
residence; estate; grounds; premises; mansion
site; plot; lot; grounds
to spread out (e.g. a futon); to lay out
Kurashiki (city)
threshold (esp. one with grooves for sliding doors); sill
spreading; laying out; covering
suffix indicating room size (following a number of tatami mats and a counter)
desk pad; sheet of plastic (or cardboard, felt, etc.) placed under writing paper; underlay
tatami room; tatami mat room; formal Japanese room
flood plain; river terrace; riverside area; area between river and river bank
laying (a railroad, pipes, naval mines, etc.); construction
furoshiki; wrapping cloth; cloth wrapper
tatami room
carpet; rug; matting; carpeting
(security) deposit; caution money
Yamato (province)
public flower garden
dress circle (of a theatre); (first) balcony; box
futon (laid on the floor); (Japanese) mattress; underquilt; sleeping mat
paving stone; pavement