大纲
dà gāng · HSK 5
outline
📋 大纲 = big (大) + main rope/guideline (纲)
纲 originally meant the headrope of a fishing net — the thick cord that pulls all the smaller strands into order. Combined with 大 (big/main), 大纲 names the master thread of an argument: the outline that holds every subpoint together.
大 — pictograph of a person with arms outstretched
大 is a pictograph showing a person standing with arms and legs spread wide. The outstretched arms suggest 'big' or 'great', extending from the literal image of a large stance to abstract meanings like important or grand. It is one of the oldest characters, found on oracle bones.