公立
こうりつ · kouritsu · JLPT N1 · noun
institution
🏛️ 公 = public + 立 = stand/establish: a public institution that stands for everyone
公 means public or common, and 立 means stand or establish. Together they describe something set up and standing for the whole community, like a public school or hospital.
公 — eight 八 + private 厶
Originally an ideograph showing 八 (to divide) over 厶 (private/self), depicting the act of splitting away from selfish interest. The combination came to mean 'public' or 'fair,' the opposite of private. It later extended to senses like 'duke,' 'lord,' and 'grandfather.'
立 — person standing on ground (大 over 一)
Pictograph of a person standing with arms outstretched on the ground line below. The original oracle bone form clearly shows a frontal human figure planted on the earth. The core meaning 'to stand' extended to 'establish, set up, erect.'