question mark
耶 centers on marking a question or expressing uncertainty, functioning as a question mark in classical or literary contexts.
耶 is a phono-semantic compound combining 耳 (ear) with ⻏ (a variant of 邑, city), but the exact historical development of its meaning as a question marker is uncertain. It may have been borrowed phonetically for its sound.
Imagine an ear (耳) listening to a city (⻏) and hearing a questioning tone, as if the city itself is asking a question. The shape suggests an ear beside a city, prompting a question mark.
For ヤ, picture a person asking a question with a raised hand: 'Ya?' The sound 'ya' cues ヤ, and the questioning gesture matches the kanji's meaning.
indefinite; hazy; vague; unsettled; undecided
Kaya (ancient Korean confederacy); Karak
time
object or shape that symbolizes the vow of a buddha or bodhisattva to save all life
precepts given to an adherent prior to being consecrated as an Acharya (in esoteric Buddhism)
samya mandala (in Shingon); mandala where each deity is represented by an object (lotus flower, gem, sword, etc.)
gayageum (12-stringed Korean zither)
Maya Cable Line
Cymbidium macrorhizon (species of orchid)
father and mother
Jesus (Christ)
Society of Jesus; Jesuits
Christianity
alaya-vijnana (store consciousness, consciousness forming the base of all human existence)