良性
liángxìng · HSK 7
benign
🩺 良 good + 性 nature = good-natured, i.e. benign (a tumour that's not malignant)
良 — pictograph of a covered grain hopper
良 originated as a pictograph of a funnel-shaped device used to clean or sift grain, with a top opening, central body, and bottom outlet. From this image of selecting good grain, the meaning extended to 'fine,' 'good,' or 'excellent.' The modern shape obscures the original object.
性 — heart radical 忄 + 生 (life/birth)
性 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The heart radical 忄 supplies the meaning, pointing to inner feelings or innate qualities, while 生 ('birth, life') gives the sound and hints at what one is born with. It originally meant 'inborn nature' and later extended to 'character,' 'gender,' and 'sex.'