港
みなと · minato · JLPT N4 · noun
seaport
⚓🚢 minato = mi (water) + na (of) + to (door): the water's door
Etymology: Old Japanese mi (water) + na (an old possessive particle, like no) + to (door, gate). A harbor is the gateway where water meets land. The same to appears in 戸 (door), so minato is literally the door of the water.
港 — water radical 氵 + 巷 (alley)
A semantic-phonetic compound: 氵 (water) gives the meaning, while 巷 (alley) supplies the sound. Originally referred to a branch of a river or a small waterway, then extended to mean a sheltered inlet where boats could moor — a harbor or port.