経由
けいゆ · keiyu · JLPT N3 · noun
manner
🚉 経由 = pass through (経) + by way of (由): via
経 kei means to pass through, as in 経過 keika (time passing). 由 yu means a cause or route, as in 理由 riyuu (reason). Together they mean passing through a place on the way, as in 東京経由 (via Tokyo).
由 — pictograph of a gourd or vessel with a stem
由 originated as a pictograph showing a gourd, fruit, or vessel with a sprout or stem emerging from the top. Over time the meaning shifted abstractly to 'come forth from' or 'origin', giving modern senses like 'reason', 'cause', and 'from'. It is unrelated to 田 despite the visual similarity.