it

Original meaning: 

snake

Pictograph of a snake, now written as . The current use as a pronoun is a phonetic loan.

Evolution

它 Oracle script (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle script

(~1250-1000 BC)
它 Bronze script Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Bronze script

Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
它 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
它 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
它 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

 

it; other

Most common words with 它
Freq.
Word
Meaning

it

它们

they (for inanimate objects)

其它

other

吉它

a guitar

Component uses

Meaning component in 2 characters (0 verified)

Sound component in 13 characters (1 verified)

Iconic component in 1 character (1 verified)