Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 朽 (xiǔ) originates from ancient China and is composed of the radical 木 (tree/wood) and 丂 (an old character depicting a bent or withered object). Its core meaning is 'rotten,' 'decayed,' or 'to decay,' vividly illustrating wood that has become brittle and lost its vitality. In the Liushutong, the form recorded under L18219 shows a clear structural evolution towards the modern 朽, solidifying this concept of perishability. Beyond the physical, it is used metaphorically in idioms like 永垂不朽 (yǒng chuí bù xiǔ - 'eternal and immortal') to mean 'to perish' or 'to be destroyed,' highlighting a philosophical reflection on transience versus enduring legacy. Arrived in Japan: The character 朽 was likely introduced to Japan during the early waves of cultural importation, most systematically through the Korean peninsula and Chinese texts in the Asuka and Nara periods (6th to 8th centuries). It became part of the Japanese writing system as kanji, retaining the same meaning of decay or rot, and is used in words like 朽ちる (kuchiru - 'to decay') and 腐朽 (fukyū - 'decomposition').