Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 底 evolved from ancient pictographs representing the foundation or bottom of something. In its earliest forms found in Liushutong, it combined the '广' radical (meaning building or shelter) with '氐' (meaning base or foundation). Over centuries, the character simplified while maintaining its core meaning of 'bottom,' 'base,' or 'foundation.' It appears in bronze inscriptions and small seal script before standardizing into its modern form. The character conveys both physical foundations (like the bottom of a container) and abstract foundations (as in 根本底, meaning fundamental basis). Arrived in Japan: The character 底 was likely introduced to Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE along with the broader adoption of Chinese writing systems, possibly through Buddhist texts and official missions to Tang China. It became established in Japanese as 'tei' (on-reading) and 'soko' (kun-reading) during the Nara period (710-794 CE) when systematic character adoption occurred.