它

"Other," "another," or "different." In early usage, the glyph functions as a pointer to alterity or distinction rather than serving as a neutral third-person pronoun.

• Modifier: Frequently precedes a noun to mean "another [noun]" or "a different [noun]."
• Substantive: Can stand alone to mean "the other thing" or "something else."
• Rhetorical Function: Because Old Chinese frequently employs zero anaphora (omitting the subject), the explicit use of this glyph often signals a deliberate contrast or specific distinction.

Contrast with 异 (yì): while 异 often implies something strange, anomalous, or fundamentally different in kind, 它 typically functions as a pointer to a different entity or alternative within a set.

• Variants: Includes 牠 (U+7260) and U+4F57. The animal radical in 牠 suggests an original association with things outside the domestic or human circle.
• Relationship with 他: In early contexts, 它 and 他 were largely interchangeable variants meaning "the other." The modern distinction—where 他 refers to humans ("he") and 它 refers to non-humans ("it")—is a later development.

Prioritize "other" or "else" over a neutral "it." The presence of this glyph typically indicates that the author is emphasizing that the referent is distinct from what has previously been mentioned.