前後
ぜんご · zengo · JLPT N2 · noun
binding
前 (zen) = front/before + 後 (go) = back/after; together they span both ends
In this compound, 前 is read zen and means front or before, and 後 is read go and means back or after. Put together, the word covers both ends of a sequence or space.
前 — top 丷 + 一 + 月 (moon) + 刂 (knife)
Originally written 歬, depicting a foot 止 above a boat 舟, meaning to advance or go forward. Over time the form evolved and the knife radical 刂 was added, while 止 and 舟 fused into the modern shape. The core meaning 'front, before, ahead' has stayed consistent.