Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 猶 (yóu) originally depicted a monkey-like animal in oracle bone script, with the 犭(犬) radical representing an animal and 酋 showing its head. In bronze script, it evolved to show clearer features of this cautious, hesitating animal. By small seal script, the standardized form emerged. The meaning extended metaphorically to 'still,' 'yet,' or 'hesitate' - reflecting the animal's wary nature. In Liushutong, L11602 shows a transitional form between ancient variants and the modern 猶, capturing this evolutionary path from concrete animal representation to abstract adverbial meaning. Arrived in Japan: The character 猶 likely arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE along with the broader introduction of Chinese writing systems, possibly through Buddhist texts and Confucian classics where it appears frequently. It was incorporated into the Japanese kanji system and appears in early Japanese texts like the Man'yōshū (8th century), used in compounds such as 猶予 (yūyo - postponement) and 猶々 (naonao - still more).