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The character 虜 (prisoner/captive) evolved from ancient pictographs depicting the capture of enemies. Its composition combines 虍 (tiger stripes, representing fierceness) with 男 (man) and 力 (force), originally showing a hand capturing a fierce warrior. In oracle bone script, it depicted a hand taking a prisoner. By bronze script, the elements became more standardized, showing the subjugation of captives. The character came to mean 'prisoner of war,' 'captive,' or 'to capture,' reflecting ancient warfare practices where defeated enemies were taken as slaves or hostages. Arrived in Japan: The character 虜 likely arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE along with other Chinese characters through the Korean peninsula, as part of the broader introduction of Chinese writing and culture. It appears in early Japanese texts like the Man'yōshū (8th century) and was incorporated into the Japanese writing system during the Asuka and Nara periods when Chinese literary culture was systematically adopted.