望遠鏡
ぼうえんきょう · bouenkyou · JLPT N2 · noun
telescope
🔭 望遠鏡 = 望 (gaze far) + 遠 (far) + 鏡 (mirror/lens): a lens for gazing far away
望 means to look or gaze, 遠 means distant, and 鏡 means mirror or lens. Together they describe an instrument for looking at faraway things.
望 — 亡 (phonetic) + 月 moon + 王 king/standing figure
Originally a pictograph of a person standing on tiptoe gazing at the moon, expressing the idea of looking far into the distance. Over time the figure was reshaped and 亡 was added as a phonetic element. The meaning extended from 'gaze afar' to 'hope for' or 'expect.'