生身
なまみ · namami · JLPT N1 · noun
flesh
🩸 生 (nama, living or raw) + 身 (mi, body) = living body, flesh and blood
Nama means raw or alive, as in 生 in 生まれる (to be born). Mi is body. Together they name living flesh, and the same sense gives 'the quick', the sensitive living tissue under a nail.
生 — sprout 屮 above earth 土
Originally a pictograph showing a young plant sprouting from the ground, with 屮 (a sprout) above 土 (earth). The core meaning is 'to be born, to grow, to live,' which extends to 'raw, unripe, unfamiliar.' The modern form has simplified the sprout shape but preserves the image of new growth emerging from soil.
身 — pictograph of a pregnant body
身 is a pictograph originally depicting a person with a swollen belly, representing a pregnant woman in profile. Over time the meaning broadened from 'pregnancy' or 'torso' to refer to the body in general, and by extension oneself or one's person.