meadow, original, primitive, field, plain, prairie, tundra, wilderness
原 centers on an open, flat expanse of land: a meadow, field, plain, prairie, or tundra. The abstract sense of 'original' or 'primitive' extends naturally from the idea of untouched, wild ground.
原 combines 厂 (cliff) with 泉 (spring), suggesting a spring emerging at the base of a cliff, which came to mean an open plain or source. The modern form simplifies the inner 泉 to 白 and 小.
Under a cliff (厂), a small white (白) spring (小) bubbles up, feeding a wide, untouched meadow. That pristine field is the original, primitive landscape.
For ゲン, imagine a genie rising from the spring in the meadow: genie -> ゲン, and the genie's magic keeps the field wild and original.
cause; origin; source
original work
field; plain; prairie; tundra; moor; wilderness
nuclear power plant; nuclear power generation
principle; general rule
atomic energy; nuclear power
principle; theory; fundamental truth
manuscript; copy; draft; notes; contribution
atom
atomic bomb; A-bomb
raw materials; ingredient
starting point; origin; beginning
original picture
origin; beginning; genesis
model; prototype; archetype
plaintiff; accuser; prosecutor
tableland; plateau
crude oil
grassy field; grassland; meadow
middle of a field; middle of a country; field of contest
mulberry field
field; plain; prairie; moor
original text
cost price
original plan; original bill; original motion; draft
native people; aboriginal; indigenous people
raw materials; ingredients
motive power; driving force
place of origin; habitat
dry riverbed; river beach
original (document, copy, work, text, etc.)
place of origin (of a plant or animal species, etc.); natural habitat; original home
capital; principal
marshy grassland; wetlands
antigen
primitive man
primary colour; primary color
primeval; primordial; primitive; pristine
waste land; wilderness; moor; field; plain
nucleus; atomic nucleus
original document (not a copy or adaptation); book in its original language (esp. a European language)
nuclear submarine
original form; base form
open field; empty lot; plain
original meaning
atomic and hydrogen bombs; nuclear and thermonuclear bombs
atomic reactor; nuclear reactor
Japanese writing paper (lined with a square grid, one square per character); manuscript paper