敗北
はいぼく · haiboku · JLPT N1 · noun
defeat
🏳️ 敗 = lose, 北 = back-to-back (flee): defeat = losing and turning your back
北 originally meant two people standing back to back, which came to mean fleeing. It was later borrowed for 'north', but 敗北 keeps the original sense of turning your back in retreat.
北 — two people 人 back-to-back
北 originally pictured two people standing back-to-back, meaning 'back' or 'to turn one's back on.' Because people in ancient China faced south, their backs pointed north, so 北 came to mean 'north.' The original 'back' sense was later written with 背 (adding 月/flesh).