夷 yí ancient barbarian tribes
How it came to be
A standing person with a bow bound across the body. It was what the settled states called the peoples to their east, who were known for the bow.
How it is used
- Historically 'barbarian tribes' (华夷 Chinese vs foreign); in modern use survives mainly in set phrases.
- 化险为夷 (huàxiǎnwéiyí) = to turn danger into safety; 夷为平地 (yí wéi píngdì) = to raze to the ground.
- 匪夷所思 (fěiyísuǒsī) = beyond what ordinary reason can imagine.