Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
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The kanji 譲 is a phono-semantic compound character, formed during the Warring States period or early Imperial China. Its semantic component is 言 (words, speech), indicating that the concept involves verbal communication or negotiation. The phonetic component is 襄, which also contributes to the meaning. 襄 itself depicts a person (儿) performing an action within a field or enclosure (衣 is a corruption of an enclosure), with two 口 (mouths) representing repeated speech or effort, collectively conveying the idea of "assisting in accomplishing a task." Thus, the core meaning of 譲 combines the notions of verbal exchange and yielding or assisting another to succeed, leading to "defer," "concede," or "transfer." Historically, the character evolved from its ancient forms found on bronze inscriptions and seal scripts. In small seal script (小篆), it was standardized into the form that clearly shows 言 and 襄. This structure was then regularized in clerical script (隷書) and further stylized into the modern kaisho (楷書) form used today. The original meaning was to yield or cede a position, possession, or right to someone else, often through a verbal agreement or declaration, which is why the "speech" radical is central to its construction. The character, along with the vast majority of the Chinese writing system, was introduced to Japan in waves, primarily from the 5th to the 8th centuries AD via Korean peninsula diplomats and Chinese texts like the *Lunyu* (Analects of Confucius). It was incorporated into the Japanese writing system as a regular-use kanji (Jōyō Kanji). A significant cultural note is that the concept of "譲る" (yuzuru) is deeply embedded in Japanese social etiquette, reflecting values of harmony and respect. It is famously present in the Japanese Constitution's Article 9, which uses the term 戦争の放棄 (renunciation of war), a concept related to yielding a sovereign right. Furthermore, the kanji is used in names and terms like 譲治 (Jōji), and the verb itself can imply not just giving way, but also selling or passing something on to a specific person.