社説
しゃせつ · shasetsu · JLPT N2 · noun
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📰 社 = company/society + 説 = opinion/speech: a society's opinion piece, the paper's own view
社 (sha) means company or society, 説 (setsu) means theory or opinion. A 社説 is the newspaper's own stated opinion, written by the company rather than a single reporter.
社 — 示 (altar/spirit) + 土 (earth)
Originally referred to the god of the soil and the altar where villagers worshipped it. The 示 component signals ritual or spirits, while 土 means earth, together evoking a community shrine. The meaning later broadened to 'community' and 'society'.