発生
はっせい · hassei · JLPT N1 · noun
occurrence
🌋 発生 = hatsu (launch, set off) + sei (birth, arise): something launches into existence, like a volcano erupting.
Hatsu means departure or launch and sei means birth or production. Together they describe something springing forth into being, the way an outbreak or occurrence first appears.
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.