Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 膚 evolved from ancient pictographs depicting skin or surface. In oracle bone script, it resembled animal hide with markings. By the Liushutong period (c. 2nd century), it developed its characteristic form with the 虍 (tiger stripe) radical above and 胃-like component below, suggesting tiger skin or patterned surface. The character means 'skin,' 'surface,' or 'superficial' - reflecting its fundamental meaning of outer covering. This evolution shows how abstract concepts were represented through tangible natural elements in Chinese character development. Arrived in Japan: The character 膚 likely arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE along with the broader introduction of Chinese writing system through Buddhist texts and cultural exchange with Korean peninsula. It appears in early Japanese documents like the 8th century Man'yōshū poetry collection, indicating it was established in Japanese writing by the Nara period (710-794 CE).