Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 握 (wò) evolved from ancient pictographs showing a hand grasping something. The modern form consists of the hand radical 扌(手) on the left, combined with 屋 on the right, which provides phonetic elements. Originally depicting the physical action of holding or gripping firmly in one's hand, its meaning expanded metaphorically to include concepts like control, authority, and certainty, as seen in words like 掌握 (to master) and 把握 (to grasp/understand). The character appears in classical texts like the 'Book of Rites' describing ceremonial hand positions. Arrived in Japan: The character 握 arrived in Japan during the Yayoi period (300 BCE - 300 CE) or early Kofun period (300-538 CE) through cultural exchange with China, likely via Korean peninsula. It was systematically introduced with other Chinese characters during the 5th-6th centuries when Korean scholars brought Chinese writing to the Japanese court. The character maintained its core meaning of 'grasp' or 'grip' and appears in early Japanese texts like the Man'yōshū (8th century) poetry anthology.