Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 冬 (dōng) originally depicted the end of the year or season. In oracle bone script, it showed a hanging thread with knots at both ends, symbolizing 'the end.' Over time, it evolved to represent winter—the final season—with the bottom component 冫 (ice) added to emphasize cold. The character thus transformed from meaning 'conclusion' to specifically 'winter,' reflecting its association with the cold end of the annual cycle. Arrived in Japan: The character 冬 likely arrived in Japan during the 5th to 6th centuries CE, alongside the introduction of Chinese writing systems (kanji) through cultural exchanges, possibly via Korean scholars or Chinese texts such as the Confucian classics.