味方
みかた · mikata · JLPT N3 · noun
ally
🤝 味方 = flavour + side: the person who stands on your side
方 (かた) means side or direction. 味 is mostly there for its sound (み). Older spellings like 御方 or 身方 meant the honoured side or one's own side. Your 味方 is whoever stands on your side.
方 — pictograph of a plow or two boats joined side by side
方 originated as a pictograph, traditionally interpreted as a plow handle or two boats lashed together. From the idea of paired boats it extended to mean 'side by side,' then 'square,' 'direction,' and 'region.' It was later borrowed for the abstract sense of 'method' or 'way.'