同盟
どうめい · doumei · JLPT N1 · noun
alliance
📜 同 = together + 盟 = sworn oath: an alliance is a pact of shared oaths
同 means together or same; 盟 means oath or sworn pledge. Combined, 同盟 names a group bound by a joint oath. The same 盟 appears in 連盟 (league).
同 — 冂 enclosure + 一 + 口 mouth
Originally depicted multiple mouths gathered under one cover or enclosure, suggesting people speaking together in agreement. From this image of voices joining, it came to mean 'same,' 'together,' or 'alike.' The shared cover symbolizes unity.