科目
かもく · kamoku · JLPT N3 · noun
subject
📚 科目 = field of study (科) + item (目): one item on the list of fields
科 means a branch or field of study, as in 科学 (science). 目 means item or heading, as in 項目 (item). A 科目 is one heading on the timetable, such as math or history.
科 — grain 禾 + measure 斗
科 combines 禾 (grain) and 斗 (a dipper/measure), originally depicting the act of measuring or grading grain. From this, it extended to mean classification, category, and branch of study. Today it commonly appears in words for science (科学) and academic disciplines.