Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 延 (yán) originally depicted a path extending forward, combining the radical 廴 (movement) with phonetic components. In ancient oracle bone and bronze scripts, it showed a foot or movement element combined with a line extending outward, representing the concept of prolonging, stretching, or delaying. Over centuries, the character evolved through various script styles - from the curved lines of seal script to the more angular forms in clerical script, eventually standardizing into the modern form. The core meaning has consistently revolved around extension, continuation, and postponement, appearing in words like 延长 (extension), 延期 (postponement), and 延ばす (to prolong). Arrived in Japan: The character 延 likely arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE along with the broader introduction of Chinese writing system through Buddhist texts and cultural exchange. It was formally incorporated into the Japanese writing system during the Asuka and Nara periods (6th-8th centuries) as part of the mass adoption of Chinese characters (kanji) for writing Japanese.