一 horizontal, array of items, reciprocating lateral motion, indicates width or extent, one segment, rod stalk or stem

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Gothic:

一

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On-yomi [ Toggle rōmaji ]

イチ　･　イツ
I　CHI　･　I　TSU

Kun-yomi

ひと～　･　ひと(つ
hi　to～　･　hi　to　tsu

Meanings of elements

SIDE TO SIDE, BACK AND FORTH

What does anyone and everyone see when looking at this glyph?…a line segment, that is, ONE segment. Nonetheless, a segment is comprised of an ARRAY of an infinite number of points directly between a designated starting point and a designated ending point. And what else can be seen? Something HORIZONTAL. Furthermore, a ROD or SHAFT is clearly evident, similar to 丨 but with a different orientation. Every time「一」is drawn, the writer experiences the meaning of LATERAL MOTION of the hand, and the brush or pen in hand.
Be sure to review the older glyphs meaning SINGULAR: 壹, 壱, 弌 referring to that singular event in all of biology, that being beyond what is ordinary, especially in being exceptionally good and remarkable. The sequence of changing elements within the glyphs depict the evolving customs in ancient humans, particularly in China. A geometric line may be conceptualized as an infinite array of points as Euclid described, and this element can refer to an ARRAY, or to items that have been ARRAYED AS ONE LINE: a segment of a line is an array of points or dots, and simplified Chinese uses either ー (「repeated」) or 一 (「one」) as equivalents to replace an array or「line of drops」(灬).
ONE, something LATERAL or HORIZONTAL, or in LATERAL MOTION (see 入, ⺄, or 永, as examples). Also used to indicate HOW WIDE something or another element is (note the top of 未 and 末, as examples). The numerals one through ten are all associated with hand gestures, used in China to avoid confusion while bargaining or simply due to pronunciation problems using different dialects, or while bidding at an auction and keeping the bid quiet, and ONE was a single finger pointing horizontally. In some glyphs, and with some fonts, this stroke appears identical to either the various「marker」strokes (such as 丶), or as「repeated bobbing head」(ー).

Used within names (nanori)
かず　･　い　･　いっ　･　いる　･　かつ　･　かづ　･　てん　･　はじめ　･　ひ　･　ひとつ　･　まこと

Always keep in mind that these glyphs most likely were originally designed by groups of clever old men as vulgar riddles for their own entertainment (see 籒 for that), representing Chinese society many thousands of years ago, but intended NOT as a written or spoken language when created. If these glyphs had been intended for language use, the sages could not have possibly designed a worse system! Is it truly possible that all these glyphs started out as off-color jokes and puzzles? Yes! It is, and often with multiple correct answers to each riddle, the same as is true today. Sex had no shame in ancient China. Why would it? But, have there been necessary rewrites and altered explanations of the original elemental meanings over the centuries?

No one is suggesting these glyphs depict contemporary life in China, Japan, or anywhere else. This site describes glyph meanings, not people. These glyphs however, describe many and various things, including people, long before there were any notions of becoming politically incorrect. The question to be answered is, should these glyphs continue being used, by anyone, anywhere, for expressing language? (More...) Despite how seemingly bad our human existence is today, do you actually believe that the so-called good old days were any better? Or could they have been worse?

By the way, with a limited number of the same elements used by the sages again and again to form these glyphs, you should expect to find the same explanations again and again, as tedious as that may become, and as an inherent trait of any lexicon. This site explains multiple meanings of glyphs ignored or censored by other sources, generally as being too embarrassing to admit today.