予

In early Chinese (Shang–early Zhou), 予 functioned as a common first-person pronoun, later largely replaced by 吾 and 我.

The ancient bronze and seal forms show two triangular shapes crossed or opposed, with threads or a shuttle-like line beneath.

Two major scholarly interpretations:

(A) Weaving-shuttle interpretation

The form resembles part of a loom, especially the shuttle (杼) that sends yarn left and right.

From “sending the thread back and forth,” the idea of “giving / handing over” develops.

This interpretation connects 予 with 杼, explaining the phonetic relation and the act of “passing something to another.”

(B) Handing-over interpretation

The two triangular shapes represent two people or two hands exchanging an object.

Original meaning: to give, to pass across

Pronoun meaning “I” is a phonetic loan (假借).

Both interpretations support giving / transferring as the original sense.

Phono-semantic role:

Later, 予 began to serve as phonetic element in other characters:

豫 (예, “in advance”)

與 (여, “give; with”)

欲 (rarely connected in some phonetic series theories)

Semantic shift:

Shang inscriptions → common 1st-person pronoun

Zhou, Warring States → “give,” “grant,” “permit”

Classical texts → fixed literary usage: “I,” especially in royal or formal speech

Later Han onward → replaced by 吾 (subject) and 我 (object) in most contexts

Still used in set expressions, titles, and classical quotations

Classical “I, me”

Used in Sino-Korean readings of classical texts:

予曰 (여왈) — “I say” (formulaic phrase in annals or epistles)

予之 (여지) — my; mine

“Give / grant / allow” (문어적)

授予 (수여) — to award; to bestow

予許 (여허) — to approve; to allow (rare in modern Korean)

予取予奪 (여취여탈) — to give and take at will; arbitrary control

As an abbreviation for 豫 (예, “in advance”)

An extremely limited usage today, but appears in historical documents.

In names & epithets

Used in classical names or titles; retains elegant, archaic nuance.

Modern languages have redistributed meanings:

與 — to give; to participate; with

豫 — beforehand; pleased

予 — now mostly literary “I,” or phonetic component

Rotated form 𠄔:

Turning 予 upside down gives 𠄔, which appears in ancient scripts and is also connected with the form of 幻. They share graphic similarity but not meaning.

Classical citations:

《尚書·湯誓》 (Book of Documents)

「予小子履，敢用玄牡，敢昭告于皇皇后帝。」

“I, the little child Lü, dare to use the black bull and solemnly announce to the august Supreme Lord” — 予 = I (royal self-reference)

《論語·憲問》 (Analects 14:40)

孔子曰：「予所否者，天厭之。」

Confucius said: “As for what I reject, Heaven rejects it as well” — 予 = I

《詩經·邶風·旄丘》 (Classic of Poetry)

「予之不德。」

“It is my own lack of virtue” — 予 = my (possessive)

《孟子·梁惠王下》 (Mencius)

「予豈好辯哉？」

“Do I truly love disputation?” — rhetorical “I”