迷子
まいご · maigo · JLPT N3 · noun
child
🧒 迷 lost/astray + 子 child; maigo sounds like: my kid... go where?
迷 means to lose your way, the same 迷 as in 迷う (mayou, to get lost). 子 is child. Store announcements use it: 迷子のお知らせ is a notice about a lost child. Sound hook: maigo, my kid, gone.
迷 — 辶 (walk) + 米 (rice/mǐ, phonetic)
A semantic-phonetic compound. The 辶 component (walking/road) gives the meaning of going astray on a path, while 米 (mǐ) supplies the sound. Originally referring to losing one's way while traveling, it later extended to mean confused, lost, or fascinated/captivated by something.
子 — pictograph of a baby/child with arms out
子 began as a pictograph of a swaddled infant with a large head and outstretched arms, originally meaning 'baby' or 'child.' From there it broadened to 'son,' 'offspring,' and a respectful suffix for masters like 孔子 (Confucius). It also became one of the twelve earthly branches.