丙

Glyph origin
Various theories:
 * – shoulders ().
 * – the tail of a fish ().
 * – pedestal.
 * – small table.
 * Original form of.

Whatever its original sense may be, it has been lost and replaced by its early use as a heavenly stem.

Etymology 1
note the phonological relationship between and ; how these two are graphically related is noted in. suggests that these two words are not only phonologically similar but also etymologically related, with 丙, meaning "couplet" or "bivalve", referring to an asterism.

Definitions

 * 1) the third of the ten heavenly stems
 * 2) third; C
 * 3)  prop- (denoting the presence of three carbon atoms)

Kanji

 * 1) the third of the ten heavenly stems
 * 2) third in rank

Etymology 1
From.

Noun

 * 1) the third of the ten heavenly stems; something of the third rank

Etymology 2
🇰🇲

Noun

 * 1) the third of the ten heavenly stems

Hanja