不一而足

Chinese

varying; differing; different
varying; differing; different; not uniform; to vary; to differ
 
and; as well as; but (not)
and; as well as; but (not); yet (not); (shows causal relation); (shows change of state); (shows contrast)
 
 foot; to be sufficient
simp. and trad.
(不一而足) 		不一 而 足

Etymology

The original and literal meaning in the Gongyang was "to not make full (the approval) all at once", i.e., to be conditional and graduated in dispensing approval. It was also written as "不壹而足" in the Gongyang, and typically used in the phrase

許夷狄者不一而足也。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
许夷狄者不一而足也。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]
From: Commentary of Gongyang, c. 206 BCE– 9 CE
Xǔ yídí zhě bù yī'érzú yě. [Pinyin]
To approve of a barbarian, one does not do so to the full degree all at once.

As chengyu, the phrase has been re-analysed semantically in common usage and shifted in meaning.

Pronunciation

Idiom

不一而足

  1. cannot be described only by one example; by no means an isolated case; to be numerous; innumerable
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