多

By extension, it developed meanings like “excessive, overdone” (심하다, 지나치다).

The character shows two 夕 (evening) components tilted, but it has no actual relation to “evening.” 多 originally depicted two pieces of meat and came to mean “many” or “numerous.”

Oracle bone script (甲骨文 jiǎgǔwén):

Depicted as two shapes resembling ᄇ, lying side by side.

This symbol actually represented 肉 (meat) in oracle bone script.

This form remained largely unchanged through time and eventually became 多.

Because people in ancient times viewed abundance as positive, 多 also took on the meanings “good,” “beautiful,” or “to regard as beautiful.”

It is even used in female names with the meaning “beautiful.”

In some cases, 多 also implies “better, more preferable.”

𢑑 – an ancient variant written as two pig heads stacked together.

夛 – a hybrid form between the ancient character and the modern shape.