取引
とりひき · torihiki · JLPT N1 · noun
minutes
💰 取 take + 引 pull: a deal where each side takes and pulls goods or money
取 (take, grab) and 引 (pull, draw) combine into the idea of exchanging goods or money back and forth. 取引 covers business transactions and dealings in general.
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.
引 — bow 弓 + vertical stroke 丨
A compound ideograph showing a bow 弓 with a vertical line 丨 representing the drawn bowstring. The original meaning was 'to draw a bow,' which extended to 'pull,' 'lead,' 'guide,' and 'cite.' The vertical stroke depicts the action of pulling the string back.