子供
こども · kodomo · JLPT N5 · noun
child
🧒 子供 = child (子) + companions (供): originally the plural of ko
Kodomo is ko (child) + domo, an old plural suffix, so it once meant children. The plural sense faded and it now covers one child or many. 供 is ateji, a kanji borrowed for its sound, which is why it is often written 子ども.
子 — pictograph of a baby/child with arms out
子 began as a pictograph of a swaddled infant with a large head and outstretched arms, originally meaning 'baby' or 'child.' From there it broadened to 'son,' 'offspring,' and a respectful suffix for masters like 孔子 (Confucius). It also became one of the twelve earthly branches.
供 — person radical 亻 + 共 (together)
A semantic-phonetic compound: 亻 (person) gives the meaning of human action while 共 (together, gōng) supplies the sound. Originally meaning to present or offer jointly, it extended to 'supply, provide.' A second reading gòng means to make an offering or confess.