対等
たいとう · taitou · JLPT N1 · noun
equivalent
⚖️ 対等 = 対 (versus, face-to-face) + 等 (equal, same rank): two sides facing each other as equals
対 means facing off or pairing, and 等 means equal grade. Together, two parties stand opposite each other at the same level, so neither is above the other.
等 — bamboo radical 竹 + temple 寺
Originally referred to bamboo slips of equal length used for record-keeping, with 竹 (bamboo) as the semantic component and 寺 suggesting the phonetic. From 'equal-length slips' the meaning extended to 'rank, class,' then 'equal,' and later to 'wait' (to be of equal status in line).