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 絡 (luò/lào) originated in ancient China with the meaning 'to connect, to entwine, a net.' Its evolution follows the typical phonetic-semantic compound structure of Chinese characters. The radical 糸 (silk/mi) indicates its connection to threads or fibrous materials, while 各 (gè) serves primarily as a phonetic component but also contributes the meaning 'each' or 'mutual,' suggesting the interweaving of multiple strands. Over centuries, the character maintained its core meaning of connection and networking, extending metaphorically to concepts like 'veins' in the body or 'relationships' between things. The Liushutong shows an early form where the thread radical and phonetic component were clearly distinguishable, though the exact stroke configuration has been standardized in modern kanji. Arrived in Japan: The character 絡 likely arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE, when the Japanese writing system was being developed through cultural exchange with China. It would have been introduced alongside other Chinese characters as part of the broader transmission of Chinese culture, technology, and Buddhism. The character became incorporated into the Japanese writing system and is used in both Sino-Japanese readings (onyomi 'raku') and native Japanese readings (kunyomi 'kara-mu/meru').