凶作
きょうさく · kyousaku · JLPT N1 · noun
crop
🌾 凶 (bad, ominous) + 作 (crop, harvest) = a bad harvest
凶 means bad or ominous, and 作 means crop or produce. Together they name a year when the fields yield poorly.
凶 — 凵 (open container) + 㐅 (crossed lines marking a pit)
凶 is a pictograph showing a pit or hole (凵) with crossed lines inside, marking a dangerous trap one could fall into. From this image of a hazard, the character came to mean 'inauspicious,' 'fierce,' or 'ominous,' and is the opposite of 吉 (auspicious).
作 — person radical 亻 + 乍
作 combines the person radical 亻 with 乍, which originally depicted a sudden action or making something. The character means 'to do, make, or create,' with 亻 indicating human activity and 乍 supplying the sound. Over time it broadened to cover works, deeds, and acting as something.