并且
bìngqiě · HSK 3
and
➕ 并 = combine/merge + 且 = moreover; together: 'and moreover'
并 means to merge or combine (think parallel things joined), and 且 is a classical particle meaning 'moreover' or 'furthermore'. Stacked, 并且 links clauses as 'and additionally' — stronger than a plain 和.
并 — two 立 (standing person) side by side
Originally a pictograph of two people standing side by side, depicting togetherness or combination. The modern form 并 merges several historical characters (並, 併, 竝) that all conveyed 'side by side' or 'combine'. Today it means 'and, moreover' or 'to merge', and also negates expectations as in 并不.
且 — pictograph of an ancestral tablet or stacked offerings
且 originally depicted an ancestral spirit tablet or a stand holding ritual offerings, and it served as the early form of 祖 (ancestor). Over time it was borrowed to write the unrelated grammatical word meaning 'moreover' or 'and also,' so a new character 祖 was created for the original sense.