Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The kanji 肝 is a phono-semantic compound, formed during the era of Small Seal script in China. Its semantic component is 肉 (meat, flesh), which appears in its modern form as the "moon" radical 月 on the left side, indicating the character's association with a bodily organ. The phonetic component is 干, which provided the ancient pronunciation. The original meaning is the organ "liver." Historically, the character's development shows a clear evolution from a more pictorial representation of the flesh radical to its standardized form. It was created in China to distinctly represent the internal organ, moving away from any potential ambiguity of the phonetic component 干 alone. The character, along with the vast majority of the kanji system, was introduced to Japan in several waves, primarily through the importation of Chinese texts like the *Kojiki* and *Nihon Shoki* during the Yamato period (250-710 AD). It was adopted into the Japanese writing system, retaining its core meaning and structure. Culturally and linguistically, the liver (肝, *kimo*) holds significant weight beyond its biological function. In both ancient Chinese and Japanese thought, it was considered the seat of courage and emotions. This is evident in terms like 肝心 (*kanjin*, essential/vital; literally "liver and heart") and 肝が据わる (*kimo ga suwaru*, to be brave; literally "to have a settled liver"). This conceptual link between the physical organ and core personal attributes like bravery and spirit demonstrates how etymology extends into the realm of cultural psychology.