程序
chéngxù · HSK 4
process
📋 程 = procedure/journey + 序 = order/sequence → ordered process
程 carries the sense of a measured course or procedure; 序 means order or sequence. Together 程序 names an ordered set of steps — parliamentary procedure, legal process, or a computer program.
序 — 广 radical (shelter) + 予 (give/I)
Originally depicted the side walls or wings of a building under the 广 (shelter) radical, with 予 serving as the phonetic component. From 'side wall' it extended to mean 'sequence' or 'order,' as walls were arranged in succession. Today it commonly means 'order,' 'sequence,' or 'preface.'