平等
びょうどう · byoudou · JLPT N3 · noun
equality
⚖️ 平等 = flat + equal: everyone on the same level
平 means flat or even, and 等 means equal or rank. Put together: ranks made flat. The unusual reading byō for 平 comes from Buddhist texts, where byōdō meant all beings are equal before the Buddha.
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.'
等 — bamboo radical 竹 + temple 寺
Originally referred to bamboo slips of equal length used for record-keeping, with 竹 (bamboo) as the semantic component and 寺 suggesting the phonetic. From 'equal-length slips' the meaning extended to 'rank, class,' then 'equal,' and later to 'wait' (to be of equal status in line).