Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
Historical forms are not available yet. The current form is shown as a reference.
The kanji "銭" (sen) originated in China as a phono-semantic compound. Its semantic component is 金 (kin/gold, metal), indicating its association with metal currency. The phonetic component is 戔 (sen/san), which originally depicted two halberds, suggesting a cutting or small, thin object, and here primarily provides its sound. This character was created to represent a specific type of small, spade-shaped bronze coin used in ancient China. Historically, "銭" evolved from the earlier character "泉" (spring, fountain), which was used phonetically for "coin" due to its similar pronunciation in Old Chinese. To avoid ambiguity with the meaning of "water spring," the metal radical 金 was later added, solidifying the character's specific monetary meaning. This evolution occurred during the period of the Zhou dynasty and the Warring States, when various forms of bronze coinage became standardized. The character "銭," along with the broader Chinese writing system, was introduced to Japan in waves, primarily through cultural exchange with the Korean peninsula and direct missions to China, around the 5th century AD. It was incorporated into the Japanese language as part of the on'yomi (Chinese-reading) vocabulary. An interesting cultural note is that while "銭" was the standard character for coin, the old association with "泉" persists in the Japanese word "ぜに" (zeni), the native kun'yomi for "coin," which is a phonetic adaptation of "銭" but reflects its ancient Chinese homophone.