pay, clear out, prune, banish, dispose of
払 centers on removing something unwanted: paying money to settle a debt, clearing out clutter, pruning branches, banishing people, or disposing of items. The common thread is making something go away.
払 is the modern simplified form of 拂. The older form combines 扌 (hand) with 弗, which likely contributed the sound and the idea of sweeping away or brushing off. The modern 厶 shape is a simplification and should not be treated as the original historical component.
The hand radical 扌 beside 厶 suggests a hand sweeping something away. Picture a hand brushing dust off a shelf: clearing out, paying off, and disposing of things.
For フツ, imagine a hand sweeping away a pile of foot-shaped clutter: foot -> フツ, and the hand clears it all out.
to pay (e.g. money, bill)
to pay
payment
payment; bill; account
drunkard
wiping out; sweeping away; eradicating; dispelling
sale (usu. of unwanted government assets); disposal
unpaid; overdue
payment in advance; advance payment; prepayment
repayment; refund; payback
deferred payment
to drive away; to clear; to scatter; to disperse
nonpayment; default
payment in advance; advance payment; prepayment
overpayment; paying too much
payment on delivery; cash on delivery; COD
payment
turning someone away (at the front door); refusing a visitor; shutting the door in someone's face; refusal of admission
to get drunk
to sell off; to sell completely