the 12 earthly branches 子[zi3], 丑[chou3], 寅[yin2], 卯[mao3], 辰[chen2], 巳[si4], 午[wu3], 未[wei4], 申[shen1], 酉[you3], 戌[xu1], 亥[hai4], used cyclically in the calendar and as ordinal numbers I, II etc
to support / to sustain / to erect / to raise / branch / division / to draw money / classifier for rods such as pens and guns, for army divisions and for songs or compositions