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 character 湧 evolved from ancient forms depicting water (氵) rising or bubbling up. In Liushutong, L34045 shows a variant with the water radical combined with elements suggesting upward movement or emergence. The character fundamentally means 'to gush,' 'to well up,' or 'to surge,' capturing the dynamic motion of water springing from a source. Over time, the form standardized to the modern 湧, emphasizing its association with natural springs, emotional upwelling, or any phenomenon that emerges powerfully from within. Arrived in Japan: The character 湧 likely arrived in Japan during the early medieval period, around the 5th to 6th centuries CE, as part of the broader introduction of Chinese writing and Buddhism. It was incorporated into the Japanese writing system as a kanji, used in words like 湧水 (yūsui, spring water) and 湧き上がる (wakiagaru, to boil up).