胡同儿
hútòng r · HSK 5
Alley
🏘️ 胡同 = hu + tong, Mongolian loanword for a narrow lane; 儿 is Beijing suffix
胡同 (hútòng) comes from Mongolian 'hottog/quddug' meaning water well — neighborhoods formed around wells, then the word shifted to mean the lanes between them. The 儿 (r) suffix is classic Beijing dialect.
同 — 冂 enclosure + 一 + 口 mouth
Originally depicted multiple mouths gathered under one cover or enclosure, suggesting people speaking together in agreement. From this image of voices joining, it came to mean 'same,' 'together,' or 'alike.' The shared cover symbolizes unity.