列島
れっとう · rettou · JLPT N2 · noun
island
🏝️ 列 = row or line, 島 = island: a row of islands makes a chain of islands
The 列 in 列車 (train) also means line or row. It is the same character with the same idea: islands lined up one after another.
列 — 歹 (bone fragments) + 刂 (knife)
Originally depicted cutting bones apart with a knife, showing the act of separating things into pieces. The meaning extended from 'to divide' to 'arrange in a row' or 'sequence,' since dividing items naturally produces an ordered series. Today it primarily means 'row,' 'line,' or 'to list.'