公認
こうにん · kounin · JLPT N1 · noun
recognition
📜 公 = public/official + 認 = recognize: 公認 = officially recognized by an authority
公 means public or official, and 認 means recognize or acknowledge. Together they describe something an authority has formally approved, such as a certified coach or an official record.
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.'