抗争
こうそう · kousou · JLPT N1 · noun
dispute
🥊 抗 (resist) + 争 (contend): two sides pushing back against each other, a dispute or a struggle
抗 means to resist or push against, and 争 means to contend or compete. Together they name the clash when one side pushes back against another, whether in a dispute or in organized resistance.
争 — hand 爫 (claw) over hand 又 pulling 亅
争 depicts two hands grabbing the same object from above and below, with a vertical stroke representing the contested item between them. The image of two parties tugging at one thing gave rise to its meanings of 'to contend,' 'to fight for,' or 'to dispute.' The modern simplified form streamlines the older 爭.