取り寄せる
とりよせる · toriyoseru · JLPT N1 · verb-ichidan
to send away for
📦 取り寄せる = 取る (take) + 寄せる (bring near): have it brought to you
取る means to take and 寄せる means to draw near. Ordering means asking for goods to be brought close to you, so they arrive at your door from a shop or catalog.
取 — ear 耳 + hand 又
取 originally depicted a hand (又) grasping an ear (耳), referencing the ancient practice of soldiers cutting off enemies' left ears as proof of kills to claim rewards. The meaning broadened from 'seize/take by force' to the general sense of 'take, get, obtain' used today.
寄 — roof 宀 + strange 奇 (phonetic)
A semantic-phonetic compound: the roof radical 宀 suggests a dwelling or shelter, while 奇 (qí) supplies the sound, shifted to jì. The original sense was to lodge or stay temporarily under someone's roof, which extended to entrusting, depositing, and eventually sending or mailing things to another's care.