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The character 伐 depicts a human figure (人) with a weapon (戈) striking against it, originally representing 'to attack' or 'to strike.' In oracle bone script, it showed a dagger-axe positioned next to a person's neck, symbolizing beheading or military punishment. Over time, its meaning expanded to include 'to boast' (as in 伐善 - boasting of one's goodness) and 'to campaign against.' The character exemplifies the principle of 'ideogrammic compound' (會意) in Chinese character formation, where two elements combine to create new meaning. Arrived in Japan: The character 伐 likely arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE along with the broader introduction of Chinese writing system through Korean scribes and Buddhist texts. It appears in early Japanese documents like the Kojiki (712 CE) and Manyoshu (8th century), indicating it was established in Japanese writing by the Nara period (710-794 CE).