～系
～けい · ～kei · JLPT N2 · noun
system
🧵🌳 系 holds the thread radical 糸: a thread linking members into one line
系 is built on 糸 (thread), with a stroke on top where the strands are tied together. Things joined by one thread form a system, a lineage or a group, as in 太陽系 (solar system) or 日系 (of Japanese descent). Say kei like key: the key thread.
系 — silk radical 糸 with a stroke on top
Originally a pictograph of a hand holding silk threads, showing connection or lineage. The character depicts threads being tied together, which gave rise to meanings like 'system,' 'lineage,' and 'to connect.' It later became used for organized sequences or relationships.