公主
gōngzhǔ · HSK 6
princess
👸 公 (public/duke) + 主 (master) = the duke's master = princess
公 meant a noble/duke in classical Chinese, and 主 means master or head. A duke's daughter — the one he answers to at home — became the word for princess.
公 — eight 八 + private 厶
Originally an ideograph showing 八 (to divide) over 厶 (private/self), depicting the act of splitting away from selfish interest. The combination came to mean 'public' or 'fair,' the opposite of private. It later extended to senses like 'duke,' 'lord,' and 'grandfather.'
主 — flame/lamp on top of a stand 王
Originally a pictograph of a lamp with a flame on top of its stand, representing the lord or master of the household who tended the fire. The meaning extended from 'lamp/host' to 'master, owner, main, principal'. The character 炷 (wick) preserves the original 'lamp' sense.