支柱
zhī zhù · HSK 7
mainstay
🏛️ 支 (prop/support) + 柱 (pillar) = the supporting pillar, the mainstay
支 means to prop up or support; 柱 is a pillar or column. Together they name the load-bearing pillar that holds a structure up, extended to mean a backbone or mainstay of any group or system.
支 — hand 又 holding a branch 十
Originally a pictograph showing a hand (又) holding a branch broken from a tree, depicting the act of supporting or propping something up. From this came meanings like 'branch,' 'to support,' and 'to pay out.' It also serves as a phonetic component in characters like 枝 (branch) and 技 (skill).