弟子
でし · deshi · JLPT N2 · noun
student
📚 弟子 = 弟 (younger brother) + 子 (child): a junior learner under a master
Historically, a student who lived under a master's roof and was treated like a younger family member. Contrast 先生 (teacher), literally 'one born earlier'.
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.