量
りょう · ryou · JLPT N3 · noun
measure
⚖️ 量 = 日 + 一 + 里 (ri, an old unit of distance): a sign for measuring
The lower part 里 was an old unit of distance, so 量 is linked to measuring. It shows up in words for amounts: 数量 (suuryou, quantity), 大量 (tairyou, a large amount), and the verb 量る (hakaru, to measure).
量 — top 旦 (sunrise) + bottom 里 (village/measure)
Originally a pictograph of a funnel or measuring vessel used to gauge grain. The form evolved to suggest weighing at sunrise (旦) over a measured area (里). It split into two readings: liáng 'to measure' (the action) and liàng 'quantity' (the result).