Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 各 originated as a pictograph showing a foot (夂) descending toward a mouth or enclosure (口), representing the idea of 'arriving' or 'coming to a place.' Over time, its meaning evolved to express 'each' or 'every,' as in individuals arriving separately. In Liushutong, L27398 shows an early form with clear components: a foot above an open mouth-like shape, emphasizing movement toward a specific point. This evolved through bronze script and seal script into the modern 各, retaining the 'foot' and 'mouth' elements while simplifying structure. Arrived in Japan: The character 各 likely arrived in Japan during the early centuries of cultural exchange with China, possibly by the 5th century CE along with other Chinese characters (kanji) through Buddhist texts, official documents, and scholarly works. It was incorporated into the Japanese writing system as part of the kanji repertoire used in Man'yōgana and later in standard Japanese.