Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 殊 originally depicted a beheaded criminal or prisoner (歹 represents bones/death) with a hanging head (朱 may have originally represented this concept before becoming phonetic). Its core meaning evolved from 'execution/death' to 'different from the norm' and then to 'special/unique.' In modern usage, it carries meanings of 'different,' 'special,' 'very,' and 'to die.' The character appears in classical texts like the Shiji where it means 'to execute' or 'to differentiate.' Arrived in Japan: The character 殊 likely arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE along with the broader introduction of Chinese writing systems, either directly from China or via the Korean peninsula. It appears in early Japanese texts like the Manyoshu (8th century) and was incorporated into the Japanese writing system as a standard kanji character.