及

Core sense of closing a gap or the attainment of a target:

• Physical/Temporal Reach: Catching up to someone, arriving at a destination, or reaching a specific age or point in time.
• Comparative Equality: Matching another in quality, status, or degree. In negative constructions (e.g., 不及), it indicates inferiority or deficiency ("not reaching" the level of another).

The glyph functions both as a verb and as a functional particle:

• Additive Conjunction: Used as "and" or "as well as" to link entities. It is additive and inclusive, typically appearing toward the end of a sequence to include final items.
• Temporal Conjunction: Marks the moment a condition is met or a point is reached ("when," "once," "by the time"), such as in 及至.

Contrast with 與: While both link entities, 及 is specifically additive and inclusive rather than implying mutual companionship or pairing.

When determining the function of 及 in a passage, consider three primary trajectories:

1. Action: A verb of physical or temporal arrival.

2. Comparison: An assessment of whether one entity matches the quality or status of another.

3. Connection: Functional "glue" used to include additional items in a list or to mark the time when a subsequent action occurs.