身近
みぢか · midika · JLPT N1 · na-adj
familiar
身 (body/self) + 近 (near) = near to your own body, so familiar
身 means body or self, and 近 means near. Things within arm's reach of your body feel close and familiar, which is why this word covers both meanings. Pronounced mi-di-ka.
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.
近 — 辶 (walk) + 斤 (axe, phonetic)
近 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The 辶 radical signals movement or distance, while 斤 (axe) supplies the sound. Together they convey the idea of a short distance to walk, hence 'near' or 'close'.