稽古
けいこ · keiko · JLPT N2 · noun
practice
🥋 稽 = examine + 古 = ancient: practice means checking old ways to learn them
Keiko literally means examining the old: students studied classical forms and repeated them to master them. Today it covers any drilled practice, like dojo training.
古 — ten 十 + mouth 口
古 is traditionally analyzed as 十 (ten) over 口 (mouth), suggesting words passed down through ten generations — hence 'ancient' or 'old.' Some scholars view the top as a stylized helmet or skull shape in oracle bone forms. The core meaning of 'ancient, old, former times' has remained stable since early Chinese writing.