Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 殴 (ōu) originates from ancient Chinese and means 'to beat' or 'to hit'. Its evolution shows a combination of the radical 殳 (shū), representing a hand holding a weapon or tool for striking, with the phonetic component 区 (qū/ōu). In the Liushutong (六书通) compilation, L18426 represents an ancient form of this character, demonstrating how the concept of physical assault was graphically represented through weapon-related imagery. The character maintains this core meaning of violent striking across its evolution into modern usage. Arrived in Japan: The character 殴 likely arrived in Japan during the Yayoi period (300 BCE-300 CE) or early Kofun period (300-538 CE) through cultural exchange with China, possibly via Korean peninsula intermediaries. It was systematically introduced along with other Chinese characters during the 5th-6th centuries when Japan adopted Chinese writing systems, and became established in the Japanese writing system as part of the kanji imported during the Asuka period (538-710 CE).