Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 持 originates from ancient Chinese pictographs depicting a hand (手, the '扌' radical) holding an object, combined with the phonetic component 寺. Its core meaning is 'to hold,' 'to grasp,' or 'to maintain.' Over time, from the Oracle Bone Script through Bronze Script to the clerical standardization in the Qin dynasty, the structure evolved from a more pictorial representation of the hand to the stylized modern form. This evolution solidified its fundamental meaning related to possession, support, and enduring control, which remains central to its use today. Arrived in Japan: The character 持, along with the broader Chinese writing system, is believed to have arrived in Japan around the 5th century AD, primarily through the introduction of Buddhist sutras, Confucian classics, and other cultural artifacts from the Korean peninsula and China.