In the etymological sense,
means to divide or separate. It is made up of two separate strokes, forming
a symmetrical symbol
.
Probably because the number 8 can be easily divided and subdivided,
( to divide ) came to stand for 8, the much-divisible number. The original
seal form :
, coincidentally, has 8 lines.
ba1
eight
ba1 xia1n
The Eight Immortals
八月
ba1 yue4
August
八字
ba1 zi4
Eight Characters ( indicating the time of a person's
birth, used in fortune telling ).
means to divide or separate. It is made up of two separate strokes, forming
a symmetrical symbol
, coincidentally, has 8 lines.
