地名
dì míng · HSK 6
name
📍 地 (earth/land) + 名 (name) = name of a place
地名 literally combines 地 (dì, ground/land) with 名 (míng, name) to mean the name of a geographic location — a toponym. Same 地 as in 地图 (map) and 名 as in 名字 (name).
地 — earth 土 + 也 (phonetic)
地 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The left component 土 means 'earth' or 'soil' and gives the meaning, while 也 on the right hints at the pronunciation. Originally referring to the ground or land, it broadened to mean 'place,' 'region,' and 'territory.'
名 — evening 夕 + mouth 口
A compound ideograph: in the dark of evening (夕), one cannot recognize others by sight, so the mouth (口) calls out a name to identify oneself. The original sense of 'name' broadened to include reputation, fame, and a measure word for people.