地域
ちいき · chiiki · JLPT N3 · noun
area
🗺️ 地域 = ground 地 + zone 域: a stretch of land, i.e. a region
地 (chi) means ground or land, as in 地図 chizu, map. 域 (iki) means a bounded zone, as in 領域 ryōiki, territory. Together they make chiiki: a stretch of ground with borders, meaning an area or region.
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.'