Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 断 (duàn) evolved from ancient pictographs showing an axe cutting through threads or ropes. In its earliest forms, it depicted an axe (斤) severing multiple strands, representing the concept of 'cutting off' or 'deciding.' Over time, the character simplified while retaining the axe radical (斤) combined with elements representing the object being cut. The meaning expanded from physical cutting to abstract concepts like judgment, decision-making, and cessation. In modern usage, 断 means to break, sever, judge, or decide, appearing in words like 判断 (judgment) and 断絶 (disconnection). Arrived in Japan: The character 断 arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE as part of the introduction of Chinese writing systems (kanji) through Buddhist texts and cultural exchange with China and Korea. It was formally adopted into the Japanese writing system and appears in early Japanese texts like the Manyōshū (8th century) and subsequent official documents.