海拔
hǎibá · HSK 7
height above sea level
🏔️ 海拔 = sea (海) + pull up (拔): how high land pulls up above the sea = altitude
海 — water radical 氵 + 每 (phonetic)
海 is a phono-semantic compound. The 氵 (water) radical signals the meaning—a vast body of water—while 每 supplies the sound. Originally referring to the sea or ocean, it later extended figuratively to mean 'vast' or 'a great quantity,' as in 人海 (a sea of people).
拔 — hand radical 扌 + 犮 (phonetic)
拔 is a phonetic-semantic compound. The hand radical 扌 indicates the meaning—an action done with the hand, namely pulling or uprooting. The component 犮 (originally depicting a dog with legs splayed) supplies the sound 'bá'. The core sense 'to pull out, uproot' has stayed stable since early seal script.