寸法
すんぽう · sunpou · JLPT N2 · noun
measurement
📏 寸 (sun, an old unit of about 3 cm) + 法 (method) = the method of measuring size
寸 is an old Japanese unit of length, about 3 cm, roughly the width of a thumb. 法 means method or rule. Together they name the measured size or dimensions of something.
寸 — hand 又 + indicator dot 一
寸 originally depicted a hand (又) with a small mark indicating the pulse point about one inch below the wrist. It came to mean 'inch,' a traditional Chinese unit of length, and by extension 'a tiny amount.' It often appears as a component suggesting hand actions or measurement.
法 — water 氵 + go 去
Originally written 灋, combining the water radical 氵 (suggesting a level standard, like water finding its level), the mythical beast 廌 (which judged guilt), and 去 (to remove or banish). The 廌 was later dropped, leaving 法. The core meaning evolved from 'law' or 'standard' to also include 'method' and 'way of doing'.