The story of 很

very, quite

很 is composed of the BuShou of彳(action, the left part of 行) and艮(the picture of a man twisting has neck and staring back). When someone is twisting his head and staring backward, his head is limited by his neck and cannot rotate for 360 degree. 艮 means extremity here, the original meaning of很 is an extreme action, but such meaning has been replaced by狠, now很 is used as an intensifier of adjective.