目上
めうえ · meue · JLPT N3 · noun
status
👁️⬆️ 目上 = eye + above: someone you lift your eyes up to look at
目 means eye and 上 means above or up. A 目上 is a person sitting above your line of sight, like a boss, teacher or elder. Its opposite is 目下 (meshita), eye + below, meaning someone junior to you.
上 — horizontal line above a baseline
上 is an indicative character (指事): a short stroke placed above a longer reference line shows the concept of 'above' or 'up'. The earliest oracle-bone forms used two horizontal lines for this; the modern shape added a vertical stroke for clarity. The core meaning of 'upper, above, to ascend' has stayed stable for millennia.