分かれる
わかれる · wakareru · JLPT N3 · verb-ichidan
to branch off
🍴 分 = 刀 knife over 八 split apart · wakare ≈ walk away: paths part
分 is 八 (split apart) over 刀 (knife). 分ける (wakeru) means you divide something; 分かれる (wakareru) means it divides on its own, as roads, rivers and opinions do. Its sound-twin 別れる means to part from someone.
分 — knife 刀 + eight 八 (split apart)
分 originally depicted a knife (刀) cutting something into two parts, shown by 八 above (which itself meant 'divide'). The core sense is 'to divide' or 'split', from which extended meanings like 'portion', 'minute', and 'part' developed. Pronounced fèn, it carries the sense of an allotted share.