君主

くんしゅ · kunshu · JLPT N1 · noun

monarch

君主 — monarch

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.

More Japanese words · How Japanese works