主語
しゅご · shugo · JLPT N2 · noun
subject
主 = main + 語 = word: the main word a sentence is about
主 means main or master, and 語 means word or language. The subject is the main noun or pronoun that the verb describes, such as 'Taro' in 'Taro runs.'
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.