地図
ちず · chizu · JLPT N5 · noun
map
🗺️ 地図 = ground (地) + diagram (図): a diagram of the ground
地 (chi) means earth or ground, as in 地下 (underground). 図 (zu) means diagram or chart, as in 図書館 (library). Put together, chi-zu is literally a ground-diagram, which is exactly what a map is.
地 — earth 土 + 也 (phonetic)
地 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The left component 土 means 'earth' or 'soil' and gives the meaning, while 也 on the right hints at the pronunciation. Originally referring to the ground or land, it broadened to mean 'place,' 'region,' and 'territory.'