亦 yì as well
also; too
How it came to be
指事 · Indicative · 假借 borrowed for its sound
A sign that points at an idea, often a mark added to a simple drawing.
Originally: armpit
The oldest form is a person with a mark under each arm, pointing at the armpits; the word was later borrowed for also.
用法
- Literary 'also, too', the classical equivalent of 也: 人云亦云 (rén yún yì yún) to parrot whatever others say.
- Appears in fixed/formal phrases like 亦然, 反之亦然 (fǎnzhī yìrán) and vice versa; not used in ordinary speech, where 也 does the job.