Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 振 evolved from ancient forms depicting a hand (扌) action related to movement or shaking. In Liushutong, L21880 shows an early seal script form where the right component represents both sound and meaning - combining 'hand' with a element suggesting vibration or waving motion. The character fundamentally means 'to shake', 'to wave', or 'to rouse', extending to meanings like 'to振奋' (inspire) and '振动' (vibrate). Over time, the radical standardized to 扌(hand) on the left, while the right component 辰 (morning, time) provided phonetic value, creating the modern form that suggests 'hand movement through time/space'. Arrived in Japan: The character 振 likely arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE along with the introduction of Chinese writing system through Buddhist texts and diplomatic exchanges. It became incorporated into the Japanese kanji system and appears in early Japanese documents like the 8th century Man'yōshū poetry collection. In Japanese, it carries similar meanings of shaking or waving, and is used in words like 振る (furu - to wave/shake) and 振り返る (furikaeru - to look back).