戯曲
ぎきょく · gikyoku · JLPT N1 · noun
play
🎭 戯 (play, jest) + 曲 (piece, tune) = a written piece meant for the stage
戯 means play or jest, and 曲 means tune or piece. Together they name a dramatic work written to be performed on stage.
曲 — pictograph of a bent carpenter's tool or curved object
曲 is a pictograph showing a bent or curved shape, originally depicting a carpenter's measuring tool or a curved frame. From this concrete image of bending came the abstract senses of 'crooked,' 'wrong,' and 'tune/melody' (since songs follow winding contours). The reading qū carries the bending senses, while qǔ means 'song.'