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The kanji "刺" is a phono-semantic compound, formed by combining the radical "刂" (刀, knife or sword) with the phonetic component "朿". The component "朿" itself is an ancient pictograph depicting a thorn, representing the concept of something sharp piercing or sticking into something. The original meaning was the physical act of stabbing or piercing with a sharp object. Historically, the character "刺" first appeared in oracle bone and bronze inscriptions. The earliest forms clearly show the "朿" (thorn) element, with the "刀" (knife) radical being added later to reinforce and specialize the meaning related to a sharp, piercing action. Over time, through the standardization of script forms (Seal Script, Clerical Script, and finally Kaisho), the components stabilized into the modern "刺". This character, along with the vast majority of the Japanese writing system, was imported from China, most systematically during the Yamato period around the 5th to 6th centuries CE. It was adopted into Japanese with its Sino-Japanese (on'yomi) readings, such as "シ" (shi), while also being applied to native Japanese words (kun'yomi) like "さす" (sasu) and "さし" (sashi), which already carried the meaning "to stab." Linguistically, the core concept of "a sharp, penetrating point" allowed the meaning to extend metaphorically. This is why "刺" is found in words like "刺激" (stimulus, literally a 'stabbing attack'), "刺身" (sashimi, pierced body, referring to the practice of sticking the fish's fin in the slice for identification), and "名刺" (meishi, business card, historically a 'name stab' referring to a sharpened bamboo slip used for writing). This demonstrates how the fundamental etymological meaning of a piercing action expanded into broader usage.