Yu is composed of 月 yüeh moon as radical, below 又 yu a hand as phonetic. The latter portion is said to have been the original character, moon being added as a differentia when the written language began to grow. Yu is the root idea of being and possession, q.d. to exist, to have, which senses have been fancifully derived from the moon present, not eclipsed. Read yu⁴, it means plus.