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 澄 evolved from ancient forms depicting water (氵) and clarity. In Liushutong, L11148 shows a proto-form with 水 (water) and 登 (to ascend), symbolizing water becoming clear as sediment settles. Originally meaning 'clear water' or 'to clarify,' it expanded metaphorically to represent mental clarity and transparency. The modern form maintains the water radical with 登, preserving the essence of purification and lucidity through its structural evolution. Arrived in Japan: The character 澄 arrived in Japan during the Yayoi period (around 300 BCE–300 CE) or early Kofun period, likely through imported Chinese texts like the Confucian classics or Buddhist scriptures. It was incorporated into the Japanese writing system as a kanji, used in words like 澄む (sumu, 'to become clear') and 透明 (tōmei, 'transparency'), reflecting its enduring semantic core.