南極
なんきょく · nankyoku · JLPT N2 · noun
Antarctic
🐧 南 = south + 極 = pole or extreme, so 南極 = south pole, Antarctic
南 (nan) means south and 極 (kyoku) means pole or extreme. Together they name the south pole and the Antarctic region.
南 — 十 ten + 冂 enclosure + 丷 + 干
Originally a pictograph of a bronze bell or musical instrument hung on a frame, used in southern regional rites. Through phonetic loan, the character came to mean 'south' — the direction one faces when seated as ruler in ancient China. The original 'bell' meaning was lost.