交わる
まじわる · majiwaru · JLPT N1 · verb-godan
to cross
✂️ 交 = crossed legs, so 交わる = paths that cross and mix
The old character 交 shows a person with crossed legs. Lines that cross and people who mingle both come from that idea of crossing over.
交 — top 亠 + 父-like crossed legs
Originally a pictograph of a person standing with legs crossed, showing the idea of crossing or intersecting. From this concrete image, the meaning extended to abstract senses like 'exchange,' 'interact,' and 'hand over.' Modern uses such as 交流 (exchange) and 交通 (traffic) all trace back to this core notion of crossing.