Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 角 originally depicted an animal's horn, as seen in its oracle bone script form that clearly resembles a horn. Over time, it evolved through bronze script and seal script into its modern form. In ancient China, 角 was not only used to represent animal horns but also extended to mean 'corner' or 'angle' in geometry, and even served as a unit of measurement or a musical instrument made from horn. The character exemplifies how Chinese writing evolved from pictorial representations to more abstract forms while retaining its core meaning. Arrived in Japan: The character 角 arrived in Japan during the Yayoi period (approximately 300 BCE - 300 CE) through cultural exchange with China, likely via the Korean peninsula. It was systematically introduced along with other Chinese characters during the 5th-6th centuries CE when Japanese scholars began studying Chinese writing systems. The character was incorporated into Japanese as 'kaku' for the corner/angle meaning and 'tsuno' for the horn meaning, maintaining the same dual meanings as in Chinese.