先頭
せんとう · sentou · JLPT N2 · noun
vanguard
🚩 先 (ahead) + 頭 (head) = the head that's out front: the lead or vanguard
先 means ahead or before, and 頭 means head. Together they name the head that goes first, so the lead of a group or the vanguard of an army.
先 — 𠂉 (person variant) on top + 儿 (legs) below
先 originally depicted a person with a foot or step shown above the legs 儿, suggesting someone walking ahead. From this image of going before others came the meanings 'first,' 'earlier,' and 'ahead.' The modern shape preserves the 'legs' radical underneath.