衍生
yǎnshēng · HSK 7
derive
🌱 衍 (spread/flow out) + 生 (produce) = produced by spreading = derive, form
衍 holds 氵 water plus 行 go: water flowing onward, spreading out. Add 生 produce, and 衍生 is what flows out of a source: a derivative that forms from something else.
生 — sprout 屮 above earth 土
Originally a pictograph showing a young plant sprouting from the ground, with 屮 (a sprout) above 土 (earth). The core meaning is 'to be born, to grow, to live,' which extends to 'raw, unripe, unfamiliar.' The modern form has simplified the sprout shape but preserves the image of new growth emerging from soil.