燕子
yànzi · HSK 7
swallow
🐦 燕 = the swallow bird + 子 noun suffix; yànzi sounds like yawn-zee
燕 began as a drawing of a swallow with its forked tail and spread wings, and still names the bird today. The 子 on the end is just a common noun suffix, like the -zi tacked onto many everyday object names.
子 — pictograph of a baby/child with arms out
子 began as a pictograph of a swaddled infant with a large head and outstretched arms, originally meaning 'baby' or 'child.' From there it broadened to 'son,' 'offspring,' and a respectful suffix for masters like 孔子 (Confucius). It also became one of the twelve earthly branches.