Zi Collection, Page Position: Upper Radical: Lid (tóu) Total strokes: 6 Page 88, Entry 09 Ancient form. Pronounced yi. Meaning total, also. Also a word indicating a side-reach. Also a surname. During the Kaixi era of the Song Dynasty, there was a scholar named Yi Shangjie; during the Ming Dynasty, there was an assistant general named Yi Kongzhao. Also the same as yi (great). In the Book of Odes (Shijing), it is written: Also perform your plowing. The commentary states: Yi means great. The standard interpretation notes: Yi and yi are interchangeable. Yi was originally written as a pictograph of a person's two armpits. According to the Shuowen Jiezi, it is the same as ye (armpit). In the preface to the Hengmen, it is written: Guiding and supporting the ruler. The explanatory notes state: The Stone Classics use the character yi. Yi is the ancient form of the character for armpit. The area between the ribs and the elbow is called the armpit. Later, the flesh radical was added to create the character for armpit.