Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 筋 evolved from ancient pictographs representing tendons and muscles. In Liushutong, L05092 shows the early form consisting of 竹 (bamboo) and 力 (strength/muscle) or 肉 (flesh) components, reflecting how tendons resemble bamboo fibers in their fibrous, string-like appearance. Originally meaning 'tendons, sinews,' it expanded to mean 'muscles,' 'veins,' and eventually 'fibers' or 'lines' in objects. The character embodies the Chinese conceptual link between natural structures (bamboo's fibrous quality) and anatomical features. Arrived in Japan: The character 筋 likely arrived in Japan during the early waves of Chinese writing system adoption, between the 5th and 7th centuries CE, when Japanese scholars and diplomats brought back Chinese texts and writing systems. It appears in early Japanese documents like the Manyoshu (8th century) and was incorporated into the Japanese writing system as a standard kanji character.