[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Anatomy-and-Living \ #Foot-Actions # 越 yuè to cross over; to susprass ## Components [[走 (zǒu)]] [[走 zǒu]] [[匚 (fāng)]] [[戈 (gē)]] ## Meaning Nowadays, the character "越" (yuè) primarily means: 1. **To Cross or Pass Over**: Indicates the action of moving across or passing over something, such as a boundary or obstacle. 2. **To Surpass or Exceed**: Means to go beyond a certain limit or standard, similar to "surpass" or "exceed." 3. **To Transcend**: Implies going beyond ordinary limits or expectations. 4. **To Reach or Arrive At**: Still retains the meaning of reaching a point in time or place. 5. **Increasing Degree**: Used as an adverb to indicate an increasing degree, as in "越快越好" (the faster, the better). Overall, "越" encompasses the ideas of crossing, surpassing, and increasing in degree. ## History The character "越" (yuè) is a phonetic compound character, originally meaning to move or cross over. In oracle bone script, the character resembled a type of weapon. In small seal script, the left side was added with a symbol indicating walking, clearly emphasizing the original meaning of crossing over. In ancient times, "越" also meant "to reach" or "to arrive at," as seen in Fan Zhongyan's "Yueyang Tower": "越明年，政通人和，百废俱兴" ("The following year, governance was smooth, and everything flourished"). Here, "越明年" means "by the next year." Later, the meaning extended to "transcend" or "exceed." It can also be used as an adverb to indicate increasing degree, such as in "越快越好" ("the faster, the better"). ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ![[越 yuè - ora.svg]] ### Bronze Script ？ ### Seal Script ![[越 yuè - sello.svg]] ### Clerical Script ![[越 yuè - cle.svg]] ### Regular Script ![[越 yuè - reg.svg]]