王女
おうじょ · oujo · JLPT N2 · noun
princess
👑 王女 = king + woman: the king's daughter
王 (ō) means king and 女 (jo) means woman or girl, so 王女 is literally the king's girl. Compare 王子 (ōji), king + child, which means prince. Oujo also sounds like oh, joy, a royal birth announcement.
王 — three horizontal strokes 三 + one vertical stroke connecting heaven, earth, and humanity
Originally a pictograph of a large ceremonial axe, a symbol of royal authority in ancient China. The three horizontal lines were later reinterpreted philosophically as heaven, earth, and humanity, with the king as the one who unites them. The meaning shifted from 'axe' to 'king' or 'ruler'.
女 — pictograph of a kneeling woman
女 is a pictograph originating in oracle bone script, depicting a person kneeling with arms crossed in front, a posture associated with women in ancient China. Over time the form was simplified and squared off into the modern character. Its core meaning of 'woman' or 'female' has remained stable for over three thousand years.