横向
héng xiàng · HSK 7
horizontal
↔️ héng (横 horizontal/across) + xiàng (向 direction) = the across-direction = lateral
横 is the horizontal stroke direction; 向 means direction or facing. Together: oriented across, i.e. horizontal or lateral, as opposed to 纵向 (lengthwise/vertical).
横 — wood radical 木 + 黄 (huáng, phonetic)
A semantic-phonetic compound: 木 'wood' gives the meaning (a horizontal wooden bar across a gate), while 黄 supplies the sound. It originally meant the crossbar of a gate, then extended to 'horizontal' generally. The reading hèng later developed the sense of 'unruly' or 'unexpected'.
向 — roof 宀 + mouth 口
Originally a pictograph of a house with a north-facing window, showing an opening in a wall under a roof. The early meaning was 'north window,' which extended to 'the direction something faces,' then broadly to 'toward' or 'direction.' The modern shape simplified the window into 口.