Origin

The character 紳 combines a thread or fabric radical on the left with the character 申 on the right, which serves as a sound hint for pronunciation. The thread component suggests something woven or made of fine material, and historically 紳 referred to a quality belt or sash worn by distinguished people. Over time, the character came to mean a gentleman or person of high social standing, since wearing such a fine belt was a mark of status. The 申 component doesn't contribute a meaning related to "gentleman" — it simply indicates roughly how the character should be pronounced.