又
yòu
and, also, again, in addition
Meaning
Core senses include "again" (repetition of an action), "also," and "in addition."
Grammar and usage
Used as a coordinator to stack attributes, arguments, or facts. When appearing at the start of a phrase or clause, it frequently serves as a connective flagging a subsequent point in a series of reasons or characteristics.
History and forms
In early texts (Oracle Bone and Early Bronze), the glyph functions as a noun denoting "hand" or as a marker of agency.
Graphical notes
Originally a pictograph of a right hand; the evolution from "right hand" to "bringing/adding something else in" informs its later additive and iterative range.
Translator notes
If adverbial meanings ("again," "also") do not fit the grammatical context of an archaic passage, consider the primary senses of manual agency (the hand performing the action).
Decontextualized translator aid. This page describes plausible lexical range; it does not choose what the glyph means in a particular passage.