Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 致 evolved from ancient forms depicting 'to send' or 'to cause to reach.' Its earliest oracle bone script showed a hand delivering an object, representing the act of sending or causing something to arrive. During the bronze script period, it incorporated elements meaning 'to reach' and 'to send.' By the small seal script, it standardized into its modern form with 至 (arrive) as the phonetic component and 攵 (strike/action) as the semantic component, developing meanings including 'to send,' 'to deliver,' 'to cause,' 'to result in,' and 'to devote.' The character embodies the concept of purposeful action leading to a specific outcome or destination. Arrived in Japan: The character 致 likely arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE along with the broader introduction of Chinese writing system (kanji) through Buddhist texts, Confucian classics, and other Chinese cultural imports. It became established in the Japanese writing system as part of the early adoption of Chinese characters (kanji) during the Asuka and Nara periods.