高等
こうとう · koutou · JLPT N2 · na-adj
high grade
🏅 高等 = 高 (high) + 等 (grade, rank): a high grade or class
高 means high and 等 means grade or rank, so together they name a high class or grade. The same 等 appears in 一等 (first class) and 平等 (equal rank).
高 — pictograph of a tall building/tower
高 is a pictograph of a tall structure, likely a watchtower or multi-story gate, with a roof on top, an upper chamber, and a base below. From this concrete image of height it extended to the general meanings 'tall,' 'high,' and figuratively 'lofty' or 'noble.'
等 — bamboo radical 竹 + temple 寺
Originally referred to bamboo slips of equal length used for record-keeping, with 竹 (bamboo) as the semantic component and 寺 suggesting the phonetic. From 'equal-length slips' the meaning extended to 'rank, class,' then 'equal,' and later to 'wait' (to be of equal status in line).