族
zú · HSK 6
race
👪 flag + arrow = soldiers under one banner, i.e. a clan
族 combines 方 (flag/banner) with 矢 (arrow). Originally a troop rallying under a shared banner, the meaning broadened from military unit to clan, tribe, and eventually race or nationality.
族 — banner 㫃 + arrow 矢
族 originally depicted arrows 矢 gathered under a banner 㫃, representing a military unit or clan rallying under one flag. From this image of people united under a common standard, the meaning extended to family, tribe, and ethnic group.