高昂
gāoáng · HSK 7
to hold (one's head) high; expensive
📈 高 = tall + 昂 = lifted/raised; both mean 'up high'
高 (gāo) means tall/high; 昂 (áng) means to raise or lift up (originally a head held high). Stacking two 'up' morphemes gives an intensified sense: soaring prices, elated spirits, or a proudly raised head.
高 — pictograph of a tall building/tower
高 is a pictograph of a tall structure, likely a watchtower or multi-story gate, with a roof on top, an upper chamber, and a base below. From this concrete image of height it extended to the general meanings 'tall,' 'high,' and figuratively 'lofty' or 'noble.'