引分け
ひきわけ · hikiwake · JLPT N2 · noun
draw
⚖️ 引 (pull) + 分け (split): both sides pull and neither wins, so the result is split
Also written 引き分け with okurigana. Think tug-of-war: equal pulling on both sides means no winner, so the outcome is split evenly.
引 — bow 弓 + vertical stroke 丨
A compound ideograph showing a bow 弓 with a vertical line 丨 representing the drawn bowstring. The original meaning was 'to draw a bow,' which extended to 'pull,' 'lead,' 'guide,' and 'cite.' The vertical stroke depicts the action of pulling the string back.
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.