国定
こくてい · kokutei · JLPT N1 · noun
national
🏛️ 国 (country) + 定 (fixed, decided) = fixed by the country, so state-sponsored or national
国定 combines 国 (country) and 定 (set, fixed). It describes things the state decides and funds, like 国定教科書, national textbooks.
国 — enclosure 囗 + jade 玉
国 is a simplified form of 國. The outer 囗 represents borders or an enclosed territory, while the inner 玉 (jade) suggests a treasured realm ruled by a sovereign. The traditional 國 used 或 inside, depicting a guarded region with a weapon, later simplified by replacing it with 玉.
定 — roof 宀 + 正 (correct/upright, phonetic)
Originally written with 宀 (roof) over 正 (upright/correct), suggesting a household settled and orderly under its roof. Over time 正 simplified to 㐬-like form at the bottom, and the meaning shifted from 'settled home' to the broader senses of 'fix, stable, decide.'