乂

乂 (Kangxi radical 4, 丿+1, 2 strokes, cangjie input 大 (K) or 難大 (XK), four-corner 4000₀, composition ⿻丿㇏)

• 爻, 冈, 艾, 㲼, 刈, 䢃

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 81, character 10
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 111
• Dae Jaweon: page 165, character 1
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 31, character 3
• Unihan data for U+4E42

Historical forms of the character 乂
Shang	Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts
Oracle bone script j26552 Small seal script s09374 s10920 Transcribed ancient scripts L19486 L19487
References: Mostly from Richard Sears' Chinese Etymology site (authorisation), which in turn draws data from various collections of ancient forms of Chinese characters, including: Shuowen Jiezi (small seal), Jinwen Bian (bronze inscriptions), Liushutong (Liushutong characters) and Yinxu Jiaguwen Bian (oracle bone script).

Pictogram (象形) — a tool similar to a knife (Li Xueqing, 2012).

Sense "regulate, govern, orderly" is derived from "to mow, cut, reap"; this sense's origin is ambiguous, possibly from "to cut" > "to trim", etc. (Schuessler, 2007). If so, see 刈 (yì) for etymology.

Alternatively, from 禦／御 (yù) (ibid.)

乂

1. Original form of 刈 (yì, “to weed; to mow”).
2. to govern; to control; to manage; to regulate

   • 時則物有間之，自一話一言，我則末，維成德之彥，以乂我受民。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     时则物有间之，自一话一言，我则末，维成德之彦，以乂我受民。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Wang Chong, Lun Heng (Discussive Weighing), 80 CE

     Shí zé wù yǒu jiān zhī, zì yīhuàyīyán, wǒ zé mò, wéi chéngdé zhī yàn, yǐ yì wǒ shòu mín. [Pinyin]

     Sometimes things will interfere. Then stick to your words and your speech, and let us be thinking of officers of complete virtues, and to regulate the people whom we have received.

3. to nurture

乂

1. to discipline; to punish

(uncommon “Hyōgai” kanji)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

• Go-on: げ (ge)
• Kan-on: がい (gai)
• Kun: かる (karu, 乂る); おさめる (osameru, 乂める)^{←をさめる (wosameru, 乂める, historical)}; おさまる (osamaru, 乂まる)^{←をさまる (wosamaru, 乂まる, historical)}; やしなう (yashinau, 乂う)^{←やしなふ (yasinafu, 乂ふ, historical)}; さびい (sabii, 乂い); こらす (korasu, 乂らす)

乂 (eumhun 벨 예 (bel ye))
乂 (eumhun 다스릴 예 (daseuril ye))

1. (obsolete) Hanja form^? of 예 (“to weed; to mow”).
2. (obsolete) Alternative form of 刈 (“Hanja form^? of 예 (“to weed; to mow”).”)
3. (obsolete) Hanja form^? of 예 (“to govern; to control; to manage”).
4. (obsolete) Alternative form of 艾 (“Hanja form^? of 예 (“to govern; to control; to manage”).”)

乂 (eumhun 징계할 애 (jinggyehal ae))

1. (obsolete) Hanja form^? of 애 (“to discipline; to punish”).

• Naver Hanja Dictionary: 乂

乂: Hán Nôm readings: nghệ, ngải

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

• Lê Sơn Thanh, "Nom-Viet.dat", WinVNKey (details)