本科

Why does 本科 look like this?

The term 本科 is a compound of two characters. '本' (běn) shows a tree with a horizontal stroke at the bottom marking the root, signifying origin or foundation. '科' (kē) combines '禾' (grain/crop) and '斗' (measuring ladle), originally meaning to classify or measure out grain. Together, they represent the 'main foundation' or the standard department of higher education.