着物
きもの · kimono · JLPT N4 · noun
kimono
👘 着物 = wear (着, ki) + thing (物, mono): literally a thing to wear
着 is the stem of 着る (kiru, to wear) and 物 (mono) means thing. The word once meant clothing in general; after Western dress arrived in Japan it narrowed to the traditional robe.
着 — sheep 羊 (top) + eye 目 (bottom)
着 originated as a variant of 著, which depicted plants emerging visibly above ground (grass radical 艹 over 者). Over time 着 split off to carry meanings like 'attach,' 'wear,' or a verb suffix marking ongoing action (zhe), while 著 kept senses like 'manifest' or 'author.'