Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 骨 (bone) is one of the oldest in Chinese script, with its earliest forms found on oracle bones from the Shang Dynasty. The original pictograph depicted a skeletal structure, often showing vertebrae and ribs. In the Liushutong (六书通), the form for L26298 closely resembles the modern 骨, featuring the characteristic '冎' radical representing a skull and spine, combined with '月' (肉, flesh) at the bottom, symbolizing the connection between bone and flesh. Over centuries, from bronze inscriptions to clerical script, the character simplified into its current form, retaining its core meaning of 'bone' while extending to concepts like 'framework,' 'essence,' and 'character' in compound words. Arrived in Japan: The character 骨 arrived in Japan around the 5th century CE, during the Yayoi period, as part of the introduction of Chinese writing system (kanji) through cultural exchange with Korea and China. It was formally adopted into the Japanese language with the readings 'hone' (kun'yomi) and 'kotsu' (on'yomi), and appears in early Japanese texts like the Man'yōshū (8th century).