Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 授 (shòu) evolved from ancient pictographs representing the action of 'giving' or 'bestowing.' It consists of two components: 扌(hand radical) indicating manual action, and 受 which originally depicted one hand passing something to another hand. Over time, 授 specifically came to mean 'to confer,' 'to teach,' or 'to award' - emphasizing the deliberate transfer of knowledge, authority, or objects from one person to another. In Liushutong, L18137 shows an early form where the hand and receiving elements are clearly distinguishable, representing the fundamental concept of transmission that remains central to the character's meaning today. Arrived in Japan: The character 授 likely arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE along with the broader introduction of Chinese writing system (kanji) through Buddhist texts and diplomatic exchanges. It was formally incorporated into the Japanese writing system and appears in early Japanese documents like the Manyoshu (8th century), adopting the Japanese readings 'sazu(keru)' meaning to grant/bestow and 'ju' in compound words.