Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 等 originally depicted a hand (寸 or 又) arranging bamboo slips (竹) into orderly bundles, representing the concept of 'arranging,' 'classifying,' or 'making equal.' In ancient China, bamboo slips were used for writing, and organizing them was essential. Over time, 等 evolved to mean 'equal,' 'class,' 'grade,' or 'etc.,' reflecting the idea of grouping similar things together. The Liushutong form L17966 shows an early variant with 竹 (bamboo) and 寺 (court/temple), where 寺 may have represented the hand action, later standardized to the modern 等 structure. Arrived in Japan: The character 等 was likely introduced to Japan during the Yayoi period (300 BCE–300 CE) or early Kofun period (250–538 CE) through cultural exchange with China and Korea, but it became systematically established with the introduction of Chinese writing and Confucian classics in the 5th century CE, and later solidified through the Japanese missions to Tang China in the 7th–9th centuries.