土手
どて · dote · JLPT N1 · noun
embankment
土 (earth) + 手 (side, edge) = an earthen edge: the raised bank along a river
Sounds like the English word dote. The 手 here marks an edge or side, so the word names a raised earthen edge beside water or a road.
土 — pictograph of a mound of earth on the ground
土 is a pictograph showing a lump or mound of soil resting on the ground line. In oracle bone script it depicted an earthen heap, sometimes interpreted as an altar to the earth god. The meaning has remained stable: earth, soil, or ground.
手 — pictograph of a hand with five fingers
手 is a pictograph showing an open hand with fingers and a wrist. Early bronze and oracle bone forms clearly depict five splayed fingers, which simplified over time into the modern shape. It keeps its original meaning of 'hand' and also serves as a radical in many characters related to hand actions.