Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 舌 (shé) originally depicted a snake's forked tongue protruding from its mouth, as seen in oracle bone script. Over time, the depiction simplified to show a mouth with something protruding, evolving to represent the human tongue. In Chinese, it carries meanings related to speech and language, as in 口舌 (dispute) and 舌战 (verbal battle), connecting the physical organ to its function in communication. Arrived in Japan: The character 舌 arrived in Japan during the Yayoi period (300 BCE - 300 CE) or early Kofun period (300-538 CE) through cultural exchange with China and Korea, likely as part of the introduction of Chinese writing systems. It was incorporated into Japanese as 'shita' (tongue) and used in both native vocabulary and Sino-Japanese compounds.