家族
かぞく · kazoku · JLPT N5 · noun
family
🏠 家族 = house (家) + clan (族): the clan under one roof
家 (ka) means house or home, and 族 (zoku) means clan or tribe, the same 族 found in 民族 (ethnic group). Put together, kazoku is literally the house-clan: the group of people who belong to one household.
家 — roof 宀 + pig 豕
Originally a pictograph of a pig under a roof, since domesticated pigs were kept in or under the home in ancient China. Over time the meaning broadened from 'household' to 'family,' and by extension 'home' or a specialist (as in 专家, 'expert').
族 — banner 㫃 + arrow 矢
族 originally depicted arrows 矢 gathered under a banner 㫃, representing a military unit or clan rallying under one flag. From this image of people united under a common standard, the meaning extended to family, tribe, and ethnic group.