大陸
たいりく · tairiku · JLPT N3 · noun
continent
🌍 大陸 = big (大) + land (陸): a continent is a big landmass
陸 (riku) means land or shore, as in 陸軍 (rikugun, army: land forces). Put 大 (tai, big) in front and you get the biggest land there is. The same pair is used in Chinese: 大陆 dàlù.
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.