Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 蒸 (zhēng) evolved from ancient pictographs showing plants being steamed over a fire. The top component 艹 represents plants or grass, while the bottom 烝 depicts steam rising from a cooking vessel. Originally meaning 'to steam' or 'to evaporate,' it later extended to mean 'numerous' or 'multitude' (as steam appears in great quantity) and appears in words like 蒸発 (evaporation) and 蒸気 (steam). Arrived in Japan: The character 蒸 likely arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE along with the broader introduction of Chinese writing systems, possibly through Buddhist texts and Korean scholars. It appears in early Japanese documents like the Manyōshū (8th century) and was incorporated into the Japanese writing system during the Asuka and Nara periods.