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The character 烈 (liè) evolved from ancient pictographs showing fire burning fiercely. Its structure combines 列 (liè, meaning 'arrange' or 'rank') with the fire radical 灬 below, creating the meaning of 'intense fire' or 'blazing'. In oracle bone script, it depicted flames rising dramatically. By the bronze script era, the composition became more standardized, showing arranged flames. The small seal script formalized the modern structure. Throughout Chinese history, 烈 has carried meanings of intense heat, blazing fury, and by extension, heroic intensity - describing both literal fires and metaphorical fervor, as in '烈士' (lièshì, martyr) meaning someone with burning conviction. Arrived in Japan: The character 烈 likely arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE along with the broader introduction of Chinese writing system, possibly through Buddhist scriptures and Confucian texts brought by Korean scholars or Japanese envoys to China. It appears in early Japanese documents like the 8th century Manyōshū poetry collection, where it was used both for its meaning and in phonetic applications.