无穷
wúqióng · HSK 7
infinite
♾️ 无穷 = 无 (without) + 穷 (limit/end) = without end, endless
无 — top 一 + 林-like middle + fire radical 灬 below
Originally a pictograph of a person dancing while holding ornaments or tassels, meaning 'to dance' — the ancestor of 舞. It was borrowed phonetically to write the negative 'not have / without,' and the dance meaning was reassigned to 舞 with an added foot element. The simplified form 无 comes from an ancient variant.
穷 — cave radical 穴 + body 身
Originally written 竆, showing a person (身) bent inside a cave (穴), suggesting being trapped or at the end of one's resources. The meaning extended from 'exhausted' or 'at the limit' to 'poor' or 'impoverished'. The modern simplified form 穷 replaces 身 with 力 (strength).