敬語
けいご · keigo · JLPT N2 · noun
literature
敬 (respect) + 語 (language) = respect language, the polite speech register used toward superiors and strangers
Keigo has three forms: sonkeigo raises the other person, kenjōgo lowers yourself, and teineigo is general polite speech. All three fall under 敬語.
敬 — 苟 (gǒu, phonetic) + 攵 (tap/strike)
Originally depicted a person being urged or disciplined with a stick (攵), with 苟 providing the sound. The early sense was 'to warn' or 'to be on guard,' which extended to careful, attentive behavior. From there it shifted to 'respect' and 'reverence,' the modern meaning.