高额
gāo é · HSK 7
large amount
💰 高 (high) + 额 (forehead/quota) = high quota/large sum
额 originally meant forehead, extended to a fixed amount or quota (think of a tally marked on the brow). 高额 literally stacks high + quota, used for large sums of money, high limits, or hefty amounts.
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.'