名高い
なだかい · nadakai · JLPT N1 · i-adj
famous
🌟 名 (name) + 高い (high) = a name held high, so famous
名 means name and 高い means high. A name held high is one everyone knows, which gives the sense of famous or well-known. Pronounced na-da-kai.
名 — evening 夕 + mouth 口
A compound ideograph: in the dark of evening (夕), one cannot recognize others by sight, so the mouth (口) calls out a name to identify oneself. The original sense of 'name' broadened to include reputation, fame, and a measure word for people.
高 — pictograph of a tall building/tower
高 is a pictograph of a tall structure, likely a watchtower or multi-story gate, with a roof on top, an upper chamber, and a base below. From this concrete image of height it extended to the general meanings 'tall,' 'high,' and figuratively 'lofty' or 'noble.'