基地

きち · kichi · JLPT N2 · noun

base

🏕️ 基 (foundation) + 地 (ground) = base: the ground a foundation is laid on

基 means foundation and 地 means ground, so 基地 is the ground that serves as a foundation for operations. It covers military bases, bases of operations, and bases in chemistry.

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.'

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