中世
ちゅうせい · chuusei · JLPT N2 · noun
Middle Ages
🏰 中 (middle) + 世 (age, era) = 中世, the middle age of history: the Middle Ages
中 means middle and 世 means age or generation, so 中世 is the middle era between ancient and modern times. Compare 中国, 'middle kingdom'.
中 — vertical stroke 丨 through enclosure 口
Pictograph of a banner or pole piercing the center of a target or territory, depicting the idea of 'middle' or 'center'. The horizontal frame represents boundaries, and the vertical line marks the central axis. The meaning extended from spatial center to 'middle, central, China' (中国, the Middle Kingdom).