法廷
ほうてい · houtei · JLPT N1 · noun
court
⚖️ 法 = law + 廷 = court hall. Together: the hall where law is applied, a courtroom.
法 comes from an old character showing a legendary beast that could sense the guilty, so it means law. 廷 means a royal court or hall of government. Together they name the hall where law is judged.
法 — water 氵 + go 去
Originally written 灋, combining the water radical 氵 (suggesting a level standard, like water finding its level), the mythical beast 廌 (which judged guilt), and 去 (to remove or banish). The 廌 was later dropped, leaving 法. The core meaning evolved from 'law' or 'standard' to also include 'method' and 'way of doing'.