自由
じゆう · jiyuu · JLPT N4 · noun
freedom
🕊️ 自由 = self (自) + reason/cause (由): acting from your own cause
自 means self and 由 means origin or cause, so 自由 is literally what springs from oneself. Sound hook: jiyuu sounds like gee, you — gee, you are free to choose. The long uu at the end stretches out, unrestrained.
自 — pictograph of a nose
自 originally depicted a human nose, shown frontally with the bridge and nostrils. Ancient Chinese pointed to their own nose to mean 'me,' so 自 shifted to mean 'self' or 'oneself.' A new character 鼻 was later created to carry the original 'nose' meaning.
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.