The word 大宗 is formed by combining the character 大, meaning 'big' or 'great,' with 宗, meaning 'ancestor,' 'clan,' or 'principal.' Here, 大 modifies 宗 to create a compound meaning 'principal part' or 'main lineage,' which semantically extends to concepts like 'large quantity' or 'bulk' through the direct contribution of each character's meaning.