异常
yìcháng · HSK 6
unusual
⚠️ yì (different) + cháng (normal) = different from normal
The two halves spell it out: 异 means different or strange, 常 means usual or constant. Stack them and you get something that deviates from the norm — abnormal, unusual, extraordinary.
常 — 巾 (cloth) + 尚 (phonetic, 'esteem')
Originally written 裳, 常 was a phono-semantic compound: 巾 ('cloth') gave the meaning and 尚 supplied the sound, referring to a long lower garment or skirt. Over time the meaning shifted from 'everyday garment' to 'ordinary, regular, constant', while 裳 took over the original clothing sense.