尊严
zūnyán · HSK 7
dignity
👑 尊 (respect, honour) + 严 (stern, strict) = the lofty dignity that commands respect
尊 means to honour or revere, and 严 means stern or solemn. Together they name the grave, respect-worthy dignity a person carries — their honour or face.
严 — mouth 口 (top) + cliff 厂 + 敢 (phonetic)
严 (traditional 嚴) originally depicted shouting mouths 吅 over a cliff 厂 with 敢 'dare' as the phonetic, suggesting a stern command issued from on high. The core meaning shifted from 'urgent shouting' to 'strict, severe, solemn'. The simplified form 严 keeps the top mouth and cliff while dropping most of the phonetic.