Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 馬 (horse) originated as a pictograph in ancient China during the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BCE). Early oracle bone inscriptions depicted a horse with a distinctive flowing mane, four legs, and tail. Over centuries, the character evolved through bronze script, seal script, and clerical script, gradually simplifying into its modern form. In Liushutong classification, 馬 is categorized as a pictographic character (象形), representing one of the fundamental animals in Chinese civilization. Horses were essential for transportation, warfare, and agriculture, making this character culturally significant throughout Chinese history. Arrived in Japan: The character 馬 arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE, introduced alongside the Chinese writing system through cultural exchange with Korean peninsula kingdoms and direct contact with China. It appears in early Japanese texts such as the Kojiki (712 CE) and Manyoshu (8th century), where it was used both for its meaning 'uma' (horse) and in phonetic applications. The character was fully integrated into the Japanese writing system by the Nara period (710-794 CE).