極端
きょくたん · kyokutan · JLPT N1 · noun
extreme
🏔️ 極 (utmost, pole) + 端 (edge, tip) = the farthest edge, which is extreme
極 means pole or utmost limit, and 端 means edge or end. Together they name the far edge of a range, the extremity. Both parts also appear in 極限 (limit) and 端末 (terminal).
端 — 立 stand + 耑 (phonetic, sprout)
端 combines 立 'to stand' with phonetic 耑, which originally depicted a plant sprouting with roots and shoots — its tips at both ends. The semantic 立 reinforces 'upright,' giving 端 meanings like 'end, tip, extremity' and by extension 'upright, proper.'