平仮名
ひらがな · hiragana · JLPT N5 · noun
hiragana
平仮名 = flat/plain (hira) + borrowed (ka) + name (na): the plain script
Kana means borrowed names: Chinese characters borrowed for sound alone. Hira adds plain or ordinary, marking the everyday cursive script. Kana turns to gana by rendaku, the voicing of k to g inside a compound.
平 — horizontal stroke 一 + 干 with two dots 八
平 originally depicted a balance or scale being level, suggesting evenness. The horizontal lines and symmetrical dots evoke a flat, balanced surface. Over time it extended from 'level/flat' to broader senses like 'calm,' 'peaceful,' and 'ordinary.'
名 — evening 夕 + mouth 口
A compound ideograph: in the dark of evening (夕), one cannot recognize others by sight, so the mouth (口) calls out a name to identify oneself. The original sense of 'name' broadened to include reputation, fame, and a measure word for people.