乃

Oracle bone & bronze inscriptions:

Depicted a woman’s breasts (a symbol of fertility and nurturing).

Originally, 乃 was the original form of 奶 (젖 내, “milk, breast”).

As its use shifted into a grammatical particle, 女 (woman radical) was later added to create 奶, leaving 乃 for functional/grammatical use.

Some alternative theories:

Depicts twisted rope (suggesting connection).

Represents the motion of swinging something.

The hanja 乃 is a classical particle with nuanced meanings, often depending on context:

• “thus, so” (이에);

• “then, only then” (비로소);

• “but, rather, on the contrary” (도리어);

• “unexpectedly, surprisingly” (뜻밖에);

• “moreover, also, just” (더구나, 또, 다만).