Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 引 depicts a bow (弓) with a line representing a drawn bowstring. Its core meaning is 'to pull' or 'to draw,' as in drawing a bow. This pictographic origin evolved into broader meanings like 'to lead,' 'to guide,' and 'to attract.' In the Liushutong, L15589 shows an ancient form closely resembling this concept—a bow with an extended line for the string—making it the most direct ancestor of the modern 引. Over time, the character was standardized in clerical and regular scripts, but its fundamental idea of pulling or stretching has remained consistent for millennia. Arrived in Japan: The character 引, along with the Chinese writing system, likely arrived in Japan around the 5th century CE, during the period of cultural exchange when Chinese texts and Buddhism were introduced to the Japanese archipelago.