我

First-person pronoun. Beyond its use as a pointer to the speaker, it can function as a noun meaning "the self" or "the ego," referring to the metaphysical construct of the individual.

Functions as subject, object, and possessive (attributive). There is no morphological distinction between singular and plural. Possession is implicit when the glyph precedes a noun; the addition of 之 typically serves to alter rhythm or emphasis.

Contrast with 予 (often more formal or archaic) and 朕 (the exclusive "Imperial We" used by the emperor in later periods).

Fanqie reading: 五可; Tang-period reconstruction: *ngɑ̌. The shift from a deictic pointer to a conceptual noun ("the self") became prominent from the Warring States period onward.

The translator must rely on context to determine number (singular vs. plural) and whether the glyph is being used as a referential pronoun or as a philosophical term for identity.