Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 醜 evolved from ancient pictographs depicting a grotesque or ugly appearance. In Liushutong, L18095 shows an early form featuring 鬼 (ghost/demon) combined with 酉 (wine vessel), suggesting something monstrous or repulsive that might be revealed through drunkenness. The modern form 醜 maintains the 酉 radical but standardizes the 鬼 component. Originally meaning 'ugly' or 'disgusting,' it extended to concepts of shame, disgrace, and moral repulsiveness. In Chinese philosophy, it also appears in the yin-yang dichotomy as the counterpart to 美 (beauty), representing the acceptance of both attractive and unattractive aspects in nature. Arrived in Japan: The character 醜 likely arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE along with the broader introduction of Chinese writing systems, possibly through Buddhist texts and Confucian classics. It was formally incorporated into the Japanese writing system during the Nara period (710-794 CE) when Japan systematically adopted Chinese characters (kanji) for official documents and literary works.