This kanji originally depicted a weapon with a large, curved saw or serrated blade. Meanwhile, ancient Chinese had a word meaning ‘I’ or ‘me’ that shared the exact same pronunciation. Because of this phonetic match, people began borrowing this character to write ‘I.’ Over time, its original meaning of a bladed weapon faded, and the kanji came to mean exclusively ‘I’ or ‘myself’ when used as a standalone word.
Words & Phrases
- 我執（gashuu）:attachment to the self / ego-attachment
- 我慢（gaman):patience,endurance,tolerance
- 我田引水（gaden insui）:draw water to one’s own mill