Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 翼 originally depicted a bird's wings in ancient oracle bone script, showing symmetrical wing structures. Over time, it evolved through bronze script and seal script forms, maintaining the wing imagery while becoming more stylized. In Liushutong, L28493 shows an intermediate form with clear wing components. The character means 'wing' but extended to mean 'assist' (as wings help birds) and 'flank' (the sides of an army). In modern usage, 翼 retains these meanings while also appearing in words like 翼く (to assist) and 翼つ (to add to). Arrived in Japan: The character 翼 likely arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE along with the broader introduction of Chinese writing systems, either directly from China or via the Korean peninsula. It appears in early Japanese texts like the Manyoshu (8th century) and was incorporated into the Japanese writing system during the Asuka and Nara periods when Chinese classical texts were being systematically imported and studied.