起源
きげん · kigen · JLPT N3 · noun
beginning
🌱 起源 = rise + source: where something first rises from its source
起 means to rise or get up; 源 means a spring or source of water, with the water radical 氵 on the left. Together they name the point where something first springs up. The same 源 shows up in 資源 (shigen, resources) and 電源 (dengen, power source).
起 — 走 (run) + 己 (self/phonetic)
起 combines 走 'run/walk' as the meaning component with 己 as the phonetic component. The 走 element suggests movement of the body, giving the core sense of rising up or starting to move. From there it extended to meanings like 'get up,' 'begin,' and 'arise.'