Zi:已

已 [yǐ] (已​经 yǐjīng) already; ​早已 long ago; ​而已 that's all; ​不​得已 have no choice but to; (HDZ:) …

One monosyllabic entry in The ABC Chinese-English Comprehensive Dictionary (namespace Ci):

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The character 已 (3 strokes) is an old abbrev. of older forms such as ​㠯 (5 strokes); the component ​厶 is sometimes an old abbrev. of 已, as in ​台, ​辝, ​允.
    Note: The character 已, formerly wr. ​㠯, split into several different characters, each with different modern usage, including ⑴ 已, ⑵ ​以, ⑶ ​似, and ⑷ ​耜/​㭒 (see below).
    The Shuōwén Seal form of ​以/已(​㠯) yǐ ‘use/employ (put into effect)’ is said to be the inverse of ​巳 sì ‘fetus/embryo’ (rotated 180 degrees, upside down), as in ​台 shǐ ‘begin’ (give birth to); the fetus in the head-down position is able to effect (cf. ​施, ​施​用) easy passage through the birth canal (cf. ​台); the newborn baby resembles both of its parents (cf. ​似).
    Note: SW explains the function of ​巳 sì ‘fetus/embryo’ in 已(​㠯) with a pun on ​实/​實 shí ‘true/real (useful valuables)’.
    Compare: ​己(​𢀒) jǐ ‘circumpolar stars; navel/self’ (later confused with 已).
    Compare: 已(​㠯) yǐ ‘already (use up)’; ​以(​㠯) yǐ ‘use’; ​似(​佀) sì ‘similar’.
    Note: The old form ​㠯 split into several different characters with different modern usage: ⑴ 已(​㠯) yǐ ‘already (use up)’; ⑵ ​以(​㠯) yǐ ‘use (employ)’; ⑶ ​似(​佀) sì ‘similar’.
    Older forms (OBI) associated with ​以/已(​㠯) are said to depict a ⑷ ​耜(​㭒) sì ‘farming/plowing implement’, or (adding ​人) a plowman with plow; cf. ​以 (HDZ).
    “This very ancient character is supposed to represent the exhalation of the breath, the virtue that emanates from any object, its action, its use. By extension, use till exhaustion, to terminate...” —Wieger.
    “​㠯 a symbol the analysis of which is uncertain, but which is said to indicate an exhalation, an outcry (and serves in this sense e.g. in ​牟 móu): hough! voila! it’s finished!” —Karlgren (AD:179).
    Note: Wieger and Karlgren are referring to ​厶, as in ​牟, but ​厶 in ​牟 is not traditionaly associated with ​厶(​㠯) nor with ​厶 sī (​私); cf. ​牟.
    HDZ: 已 : yǐ : ​止, ​停​止; ​完​成, ​完​毕; ​罢​免, ​黜​退; ​废​弃; ​病​愈; ​一​定, ​比​然; ​不​允​许; ​最​终, ​终​归; ​从​前, 已​往; (​代​词) ​此; (​副​词) (已​经; 已​而, ​随​后; ​太, ​甚; ​又); ​以; ​與; (​语​气​词)
►references: Guǎngyùn:251.21,357.52; Wieger:85b; Karlgren:AD179,GSR977a; Hànyǔ Dà Zìdiǎn:2.984.1; Mathews:2930; Kāngxī Zìdiǎn:326.11; Bǐshùn Guīfàn:004.0.06; EDOC:1
►components: ​㠯
►Cantonese: yih/
►stroke 已 (... strokes)   
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Unicode: U+5DF2
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