Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 慮 (lǜ) meaning 'consideration', 'anxiety', or 'thought' has an interesting evolution. It is composed of 虍 (tiger pattern) at the top and 思 (thought) at the bottom, though some interpretations suggest the bottom component represents a heart/mind. Originally, the character depicted a tiger's markings that were 'considered' or 'pondered' - perhaps reflecting the careful observation needed when encountering a tiger. Over time, the meaning shifted to emphasize the mental process of deliberation and careful thinking. In Liushutong, L20572 shows an early form that clearly displays the tiger pattern radical above what would evolve into the 'heart/mind' component, making it the closest predecessor to the modern 慮. Arrived in Japan: The character 慮 arrived in Japan during the Yayoi period (300 BCE - 300 CE) or early Kofun period (300-538 CE) through the introduction of Chinese writing systems, likely via Korean peninsula. It became established in Japanese writing by the Nara period (710-794 CE) when systematic adoption of Chinese characters accelerated, and appears in early Japanese texts like the Manyōshū poetry collection.