主張
しゅちょう · shuchou · JLPT N3 · noun
claim
主張 = main (主) + stretch out (張): the main point you stretch out and push
主 means main or master; 張 means to stretch or spread, as in drawing a bowstring taut. A 主張 is your main point pulled tight and held firm: a claim or assertion you insist on. Sound hook: shuchou — you SHOOT your point and CHOOSE not to back down.
主 — flame/lamp on top of a stand 王
Originally a pictograph of a lamp with a flame on top of its stand, representing the lord or master of the household who tended the fire. The meaning extended from 'lamp/host' to 'master, owner, main, principal'. The character 炷 (wick) preserves the original 'lamp' sense.