大勢
おおぜい · oozei · JLPT N5 · noun
people
👥 大勢 = big (大) + force/momentum (勢): a big force of people
大 means big and 勢 means force or energy, so together they name a large force of people — a crowd. The reading oozei stretches the O of big (oo), then adds zei, the voiced form of 勢's reading sei.
大 — pictograph of a person with arms outstretched
大 is a pictograph showing a person standing with arms and legs spread wide. The outstretched arms suggest 'big' or 'great', extending from the literal image of a large stance to abstract meanings like important or grand. It is one of the oldest characters, found on oracle bones.