老大
lǎodà · HSK 7
eldest child
👑 老 old + 大 big = the old + big one = the boss, top dog, eldest kid
老大 stacks 老 (old) and 大 (big): the oldest-and-biggest of any group is the one in charge, hence boss or guvnor, and within a family the eldest child.
老 — old man 耂 + 匕 (bent figure)
Originally a pictograph of an elderly person with long hair leaning on a cane. The top 耂 depicts the hair and stooped body, while 匕 at the bottom represents the cane or a bent figure. The core meaning 'old' has remained stable since oracle bone script.
大 — pictograph of a person with arms outstretched
大 is a pictograph showing a person standing with arms and legs spread wide. The outstretched arms suggest 'big' or 'great', extending from the literal image of a large stance to abstract meanings like important or grand. It is one of the oldest characters, found on oracle bones.