Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
Historical forms are not available yet. The current form is shown as a reference.
The character 紙 (paper) evolved from the ancient form found in the Liushutong. It is composed of the silk radical (糹) on the left, indicating its early connection to silk-based materials, and the phonetic component 氏 on the right. The character originally referred to silk floss used for writing before becoming associated with the paper made from plant fibers like hemp and bark that was invented in China during the Han Dynasty. Over time, 紙 came to universally represent the paper we know today. Arrived in Japan: The character 紙, along with the technology of papermaking, is believed to have arrived in Japan around the 5th to 7th centuries CE, during the period of significant cultural exchange with the Korean peninsula and China, often associated with the introduction of Buddhism.