左利き
ひだりきき · hidarikiki · JLPT N1 · noun
left-hander
🍶 左 (left) + 利き (dominant, as in 利き手 dominant hand) = left-handedness
利き means skill or effectiveness: 利き手 is your dominant hand and 利き酒 is expert sake tasting. So 左利き is a dominant left hand, and the sake sense comes from 利き酒.
左 — hand 𠂇 + work 工
Originally a pictograph of the left hand, later combined with 工 ('work') to specify the meaning 'left' and distinguish it from 右 ('right', hand + mouth). The hand component 𠂇 depicts fingers and a wrist, while 工 was added as a semantic clarifier referring to assisting work.
利 — grain 禾 + knife 刂
Originally a pictograph showing a knife (刂) cutting grain (禾), depicting harvest. From the idea of a sharp blade reaping crops, it extended to mean 'sharp,' then 'benefit,' 'profit,' or 'advantage' — the gain that comes from a successful harvest.