光缆
guāng lǎn · HSK 7
cable
💡🔌 光 light/optical + 缆 cable = optical cable, the fiber that carries light
光 (guāng) means light or optical; 缆 (lǎn) is a thick cable or cord. Together they name the fiber-optic line that pipes data as pulses of light. The 纟 silk radical in 缆 marks it as a rope-like strand.
光 — fire 火 (top) + person 儿 (bottom)
Originally a pictograph of a person with fire above their head, depicting a torchbearer or the radiance from a flame. The character evolved to mean 'light' or 'brightness' in general, and by extension 'glory' and 'to shine.' The modern top component is a stylized form of 火 (fire).