保守
ほしゅ · hoshu · JLPT N1 · noun
conservative
🛡️ 保 (protect) + 守 (guard): to protect and guard what exists, so keep things as they are
Both characters mean to guard or keep safe. Together they describe holding onto the existing state, which is why it covers both 'conservative' and 'maintaining'.
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.'
守 — roof 宀 + hand/measure 寸
Originally depicts a hand (寸) under a roof (宀), suggesting someone guarding or maintaining a household. The combination evokes the idea of holding or keeping watch over a place. From this concrete image of guarding a home, the meaning broadened to 'guard,' 'protect,' 'keep,' and 'observe (rules).'