堂
táng · HSK 7
hall
🏛️ 堂 = 尚 (sound táng) + 土 (earth) — a raised hall; as a measure word it counts hall-held sessions like 一堂课, one class
Originally a main hall built on a raised earthen platform. Because lessons and ceremonies happened in such halls, 堂 became the counter for events held in one sitting: 一堂课 is one class period, 一堂 is one session.
堂 — earth 土 + phonetic 尚
A semantic-phonetic compound: 土 ('earth/ground') gives the meaning, while 尚 supplies the sound. It originally referred to a raised earthen platform or the main hall of a building built on such a foundation. From there it broadened to mean 'hall', 'main room', and by extension formal gatherings or halls of learning.