Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
Historical forms are not available yet. The current form is shown as a reference.
The kanji 挙 is a phono-semantic compound character, formed by combining a semantic element with a phonetic one. The modern form originates from the traditional character 擧, which itself is a simplification of the even earlier character 與. The character is composed of the radical 手 (手, hand) at the bottom, indicating its association with hand actions, and the component 與 (yo) serving primarily as a phonetic marker to suggest the pronunciation, while also contributing a meaning of "lifting together." Historically, the character evolved from ancient bronze and seal script forms. In these early forms, the upper part depicted multiple hands (臼) working in unison to lift or raise an object. The lower part was the clear "hand" radical (手). This structure visually represented the core meaning of a collective or concerted action of raising or lifting something. Over time, specifically during the script simplification in Japan post-WWII (the Tōyō kanji list in 1946 and later the Jōyō kanji), the complex upper portion was streamlined into the modern 兴, resulting in the current form 挙. The character, along with the broader Chinese writing system, was introduced to Japan around the 5th century AD, likely through Korean scholars and imported cultural artifacts like bronze mirrors and swords. It was adopted into the Japanese writing system to represent the native Japanese word *ageru* (to raise) and the Sino-Japanese reading *kyo*. A key linguistic note is that 挙 often retains its original nuance of a collective or public action, as seen in words like 選挙 (senkyo, election - a public choosing), 挙式 (kyoshiki, holding a ceremony), and 挙動 (kyodō, behavior - how one conducts themselves publicly). This distinguishes it from other "raise" characters like 揚, which implies hoisting a physical object, or 起, which means to rise up oneself.