半ば
なかば · nakaba · JLPT N3 · noun
center
🌗 半 = half; nakaba starts with naka, as in 中 (naka), middle
The kanji 半 means half, as in 半分 (hanbun, half). The reading starts with naka, the same sound as 中 (naka, middle or inside). So nakaba is the halfway point: half from the kanji, middle from the sound.
半 — 八 (split) + 牛 (ox/cow)
半 originally depicted an ox (牛) being divided in two, shown by the splitting strokes 八 on top. The image of cleaving an ox down the middle gave rise to the meaning 'half' or 'to divide into halves'. The modern sense of 'half' or 'partial' comes directly from this ancient act of splitting.