保つ
たもつ · tamotsu · JLPT N1 · verb-godan
to keep
🛡️ 保 = protect/keep + つ (tsu) hook: keep it safe, keep it going, keep it held
保 (ho) means guard or protect, as in 保険 insurance. 持 (tsu, mochi) means hold. Together they mean to keep something held and protected over time.
保 — person 亻 + 呆 (child/protect phonetic)
Originally an ideograph showing an adult carrying a child on the back, meaning to protect or shield. The right side 呆 evolved from a depiction of a swaddled infant. Over time the meaning broadened from 'protect a child' to 'preserve, guarantee, keep safe.'