装飾

そうしょく · soushoku · JLPT N1 · noun

decoration

装飾 — decoration

🎀 装飾 (soushoku) = 装 (dress up) + 飾 (decorate): dressing something up with decoration.

装 means outfit or dress, and 飾 means adorn. Together they describe decorative ornament added to an object.

装 — clothes 衣 + strong 壮 (phonetic)
装 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The bottom 衣 ('clothes') gives the meaning, since the original sense was packing or dressing—putting clothes or goods into a bundle. The top 壮 supplies the sound. Meanings extended from 'to dress/attire' to 'to load, install, pretend'.

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