総合
そうごう · sougou · JLPT N1 · noun
synthesis
🧩 総 (all, whole) + 合 (join, combine) = all parts joined into one whole
Synthesis joins separate parts into one whole. Generalization joins many specific cases into one broad rule. Both meanings come from 総合: gathering everything together.
合 — 乛 (lid/roof) + 口 (mouth)
Originally a pictograph of a lidded vessel — a cover (亼) closing over an opening (口) — giving the core sense of 'come together, join, fit.' From 'fit/match' it extended to 'combine, unite, agree' and to measure-word uses. The reading hé reflects this 'joining' meaning.