Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 綱 (gāng) evolved from ancient pictographs representing the main cord of a fishing net. Its composition combines 糸 (silk/thread radical) with 岡 (hill/ridge), suggesting something that connects and supports like a ridge connects land. In Liushutong, L10040 shows an early form emphasizing the essential connecting thread. The character's meaning expanded from 'main rope' to 'principle,' 'outline,' or 'key point,' reflecting how a main cord organizes smaller threads. This evolution illustrates how physical objects inspired abstract concepts in Chinese character development. Arrived in Japan: The character 綱 likely arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE, when the Japanese writing system was developing and adopting Chinese characters (kanji) through cultural exchange with China, possibly via Korean peninsula. It appears in early Japanese texts like the Manyoshu (8th century), indicating it was established in Japanese writing by the Nara period.