Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 度 has an interesting evolution. Originally depicting a hand (又) measuring something against a standard (石, stone), it evolved to represent measurement, degree, and extent. The modern form combines 广 (shelter/building) with 廿 (twenty) and 又 (hand), suggesting the concept of measuring space or setting boundaries. Throughout Chinese history, 度 came to mean 'degree,' 'measure,' 'limit,' and also 'to pass time' (as in 度假 - spend holidays), reflecting how measurement extends to temporal concepts. Arrived in Japan: The character 度 likely arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE along with the broader introduction of Chinese writing system through Buddhist texts and cultural exchange. It became incorporated into the Japanese writing system as a kanji character, used in words like 温度 (ondo - temperature), 程度 (teido - extent/degree), and 度々 (tabitabi - repeatedly).